Tied With Love
by 8cheshirekat
Summary: Nick/Greg  "Do you know why he talked to me every morning at the bus stop after work?" "No, why would he?" "Because he'd just talk about you."
1. Prologue: Taken

(Nick/Greg) When a killer takes Greg's life, what comes after is all that Nick can handle. Signs of Greg's body show everywhere, but it's the final clue that triggers the emotions held within. Only one girl knows where Greg's vanished to, if they can undo the paralysis her body before she suffocates. What's more important? The life of a ten-year-old? Or the life of "the one"?

* * *

"When did the call come in?" Greg asked, putting his feet off the table. He leaned forward, looking at the paper Catherine tossed on the table.

"Two hours ago. A ten-year-old girl called in and said she was left alone. Her father left the house and said he was going to capture a new partner." Catherine looked at Greg. "The ten-year-old said she knows you and thinks you're the target."

Greg sat up. He listed the address of two houses and Catherine responded to the second one. "She's my neighbor across the street. I give her a piece of candy every night when I leave for work."

"Did you leave your house two hours ago?"

"No, four hours ago..." Greg looked up, and then back down. "This sheet, is it from a fax machine?"

"Yes. Do you know-?"

"Catherine! Greg! We've got a dead body poking out of a storm drain." Nick gave them a little smile. "And this ain't no time for pretty games." He vanished.

Greg put his head on the light table. "Catherine, I need to stay behind. I've got a load of work to do. Take Nick up on his offer." Greg gave a weary smile. "I'll be fine, Catherine. Just go and do your job like you've always done."

She sighed and then patted his arm. "Don't forget to be good."

-Two Hours Later-

Greg felt his bare feet pounding against the harsh, wet pavement. His breath was coming in puffs of mist from his lips and the moon was still waxing in the night air. He was fully cloaked in the iridescent glow of the moon's blue reflections.

His thin, white tee was covered in streaks of black and brown. His jeans were torn and bloody from his getaway. His skin prickled with cold and moisture. His nearly matte hair was slick with sweat, as well as his neck. His bare feet were sore and moist from the pavement.

"Come back here, little one! I won't destroy you, I promise!"

"Leave me alone! I don't even like you!" Greg yelled over his shoulder, still running away. He could see Nick's truck just in the distance, it's headlights still dimmed.

"Gregy, come back."

Greg reached the truck and knew that Nick was nearby. He climbed into the bed of the truck and slipped off the other side. He had to get into the truck and-

"Greg, sweety, what're you doin'?" he whispered in Greg's ear, his thick voice echoing his lust for Greg.

Greg knuckled the guy's shoulder back. It tore open his knuckles, causing blood. He flicked it right at the windshield, where Nick would see. He grabbed the handle, knowing full well Nick didn't unlock the passenger side door, so, it clicked. His fingerprints were left there, and so was a piece of his jeans, jammed in the door's connection to the rest of the cab.

"C'mon, let go!"

Greg felt his hands slip and knew it would smudge, so, he pressed his palm to the window before he let go. He heard Catherine and Nick nearby, coming back to their unmaned cars and Greg allowed himself to be dragged away. He saw Nick approach his car and stop.

The blood and hand print would be enough.


	2. Chapter 1: StartUp

Nick looked about, trying to find someone who would leave such evidence on his truck. It looked fresh, too.

"Nick, what's wrong?" Catherine asked, coming closer, her flashlight illuminating the hand print.

Nick turned to Catherine. "I think we've got another suspect or something. They were trying to get into my truck." He showed her the blood and hand print. His flashlight grazed over something and Catherine grabbed his hand to stop the light on something. "What?"

"Look..." Catherine quickly put her kit down and rummaged around for her tweezers. She took a small bag and the tweezers and gently pulled out a fiber from the door jam. "It's got something red on it. Nick, it looks like your truck is going to be 'confiscated' for this investigation."

Nick shrugged. "Scratch the paint, take out the engine, just figure out if this stuff is linked to the crime. But I'll need a ride."

-Sara-

"Hey, you guys are back early." She set down her magnifying glass and looked Nick once-over. "Why, might I ask, are you covered in mud?"

"Caked in mud," Nick corrected. "I'm caked in it because the body rolled off, into a ditch that was mud filled. I was the stupid one and waded in. Body's down stairs in autopsy. Anything on the vic's date book we found earlier?"

"Just some smudges and a couple of partials. I sent some grains I found in the corner of one of the pages to Trace. Hodges would have more." She put a hand on her hip and light table. "By any chance, did either of you see Greg outside?"

"No, why?" Nick asked, genuinely confused.

Catherine's heart began to race.

"He went out nearly an hour ago to take a phone call. He said it was from someone important."

Catherine leaned on the light table. "Then I think I know why we found those prints on your truck, Nick." She pushed off and jogged down the hall.

Nick looked at Sara. "What was that all about?"

"Nobody told you?" Sara suddenly stood up-right. Nick's face was confused and frustrated. "Oh, um, I thought they had." She gently placed her palms on the table. "Greg got a threat from a neighbor about being taken hostage. He didn't think much of it and told us that it was just that; a threat. He said his neighbor's weren't that kind of people."

"And this has something to do with Greg's phone call?"

"Maybe," Sara whispered. "Look, let's just focus on the guy who died in the ditch first. Greg'll be fine. I mean, he survived an explosion and being fanny-smacked. He'll be fine."

-Greg-

He woke with a start and tried to sit up. The motion caused something to rattle. He looked down at his left leg. There was a leather strap bound tightly to his ankle and connected to a long, thick chain. There was something resembling dried blood on the side and Greg felt his heart tighten. What was that? Blood? Or paint?

He slowly looked around, the shirt on him not really warming his torso. His legs were covered by his torn jeans. The shirt had probably been changed because he looked dirty with it on.

The house was easy to memorize. A crack on the wall opposite the bed. A bed stand with a copy of _Twilight_ on it, in paperback. A single lamp in the far corner. A door to the left of the bed, if you're sitting on it. A window on the right. The walls were white-washed, save for the crack. The floor was concrete. The window was high, meaning it was a basement or a bathroom. Either way, it was somewhere where the window had to be high.

Greg took note there wasn't a door knob on the inside. He had no way to get out anyways, since the shackle on his ankle only had so much chain.

He watched the door slowly open and he quickly lay down to feign sleep. He was going to have to play along, at least until he could determine if he was really where he thought.

"Aw, you're still tired from last night! I saw you running about at work."

Greg wanted to open his eyes and glare at the guy, but instead, he lay still. He felt the back of someone's knuckles brush his cheekbone. By reaction, he opened his eyes and then blinked. The lamp was on and the window was open. The sunlight was hitting him in the face.

"Well, good morning, Greg. You've been here all night. Had a good sleep?"

Greg turned his head and saw the guy's face.

Stubble growing along his jaw line, a slightly trimmed mustache. His eyes were like dark amber pieces of glass. His skin was slightly tanned. There was a scar on his left jaw line that was shallow but old. His face was somewhat dark, but it seemed to glow when Greg looked at him.

"Who are you?" Greg asked. This didn't look like his neighbor.

"I just dyed my hair. Like the black?" he asked, touching his curly hair. "I did it, since I saw the way you look at _him_ all the time."

Greg had no idea. "I look at a lot of 'him's, which one?" he asked, trying to get into the guy's head.

"Oh, it's all about _him_ with you." He took hold of the edge of the mattress. "Don't talk about him. You belong to me now. Me! He didn't even_ try_ to take you!"

Greg backed against the wall. "Okay, okay, I won't! Just don't yell at me!"

-Nick-

He rounded the corner and looked up. "Catherine, I got your text, what's so...?"

Catherine, Sara, and Langston were all standing around the light table.

Nick looked suspicious.

"Nikki, your truck is in the impound." Catherine looked down at the light table. "This is Greg's hand print and blood. There's signs he left something in the bed of your truck. Since you've got no way of knowing what Greg's done, it's you who's become one of our suspects."

"Be aware, Nick, that now you're under surveillance. Don't take it personally, but you're one of the suspects in Greg's disappearance." Sara came around to Nick's side of the room. She reached out and touched his elbow. "Look, this is not without restraint. We want you to take us to Greg's house. You're the only one who's got his address. You're the only one who knows what his house looks like."

"How... don't answer that." Nick looked up at the other two. "I'll take you to his house, if you guys can give me a lift there."

"Right. To Greg's house, but not tonight. There's still tomorrow." Catherine sighed. "We need Conrad to come up with leads for us to follow. Until then, we need to hold tight for one more shift." Catherine looked Nick right in the eye. "You need to give us access to all your communication lines. We need to know why Greg left evidence with you."

Nick nodded in agreement. Something about this felt oddly like the time they found Greg in the alleyway, covered in blood and so swollen he couldn't speak or see. Nick had felt the rage then, but this wasn't rage, it was some other kind of beast.

The beast was colored green...


	3. Chapter 2: At Home

Greg was seated next to the bed when he came back in. Greg looked up and quickly stood up when he saw that his captor was bringing in food.

"Hungry? I know you always buy this for your breakfast." He laid the food out on the bed. "Pick and chose. Whatever you don't want, I'll take." He touched Greg's cheek with his rough hands and as gently as he seemed to be.

Greg looked down at the food. "What do you want from me anyways?"

He put his forehead against Greg's. "Don't you know who I am?"

"No, I actually don't." Greg looked into those amber eyes. "I'm sorry. With your dark hair it's hard to say."

He smiled. "I'm Ivan. Julie's daddy."

Greg's eyes widened. Julie's eyes were bright amber, her hair was a soft brown. Whatever they had in common started with the eyes...

-Nick-

He had Catherine pull up to Greg's curb side. It had been a few months since then.

Greg's front lawn was neat and green. There was a box of flowers beside the front door, just under his front windows showing his kitchen. The garage door was propped open, like Greg always left it. There was a newspaper propped against the front door and a small stack of mail next to it.

"Are you sure, Nikki?"

"Yeah, this is his house." Nick undid his seat belt. "I know where he put the key."

"He asked you into his house?" Catherine asked, the surprise evident.

"He told me to unlock the door when I picked him up for that 4th of July party I went to." Nick sat back and took a deep breath. When he looked to his right, he saw Sara and Langston standing side-by-side, waiting for Catherine and Nick to get out. "C'mon, I'll show you." He pushed the door open and stepped onto Greg's street. He let the others linger back while he ran his fingers along the box planter and felt the cool metal. He tugged the key out and stuck it in the lock.

However, he felt the door give from that little force. He quickly released the key and door knob. He reached back and pulled out his gun.

Catherine came up beside him, her own gun drawn. "Let's go in. The officers are on their way."

Nick looked down. "When did you...?"

Catherine smiled. "My own, don't worry." She faced the door. "Brass is on his way, he's only two blocks away."

Nick nodded and gently pushed the door open with his gun. Slowly, the darkness of Greg's house was illuminated the hallway with it's bleak, white-washed walls. There was a small mirror beside hooks that held keys and above a small, neat row of shoes, toes outward, heels against the wall. Greg's keys were simple to figure out. Down the hall four feet and to the left, Nick came into the kitchen.

The white tiles on the counter were clean and there was a lot of freed up counter space. A half-used roll of paper towels stood on the metallic dispenser under the last cabinet. The stove was against the far wall from the protruding counter and the windows above the stove were letting in a small stream of sunset through the eggshell, lace curtains. There was an open can of soda beside the sink, where there was one bowl of mostly-eaten-cereal and mostly-drunk-milk.

"Clear!" Nick turned down the hallway just beside the counter. It only lead into a laundry room.

Greg had a neat stack of newspapers in front of the dryer and a fresh load of laundry folded nicely atop the dryer. There was an open bottle of liquid detergent, the cap wasn't anywhere nearby, on the floor in front of the washer.

Nick turned around and headed to the right of the entry hall. He found Catherine standing with her back to a door. She pointed into the bathroom.

"For Greg, that's gotta be dirty."

Nick put his gun away and looked into the bathroom.

There were four disposable razors on the counter, along side an open tube of toothpaste that had oozed onto the faucet's handle. There was an unused toothbrush in the sink and a highly used on in shaving cream. The mirrors were all smudged and his toilet looked brown. The shower doors were fogged with mildew and smelled weird.

"Did you check the bedroom?"

Catherine shook her head. "Ready?"

Nick braced for another dose of Greg's life. He pulled out his gun, just in case something came out of there.

The door opened into a kind of small bedroom. There was a wall that had been transformed into a working library. There were books on one side, CDs on the other side, and DVDs all along the bottom. A computer stood on sleep on a dark table, the keyboard tucked neatly under with a shelf. The printer was on the floor, but the wires still connected it. Beside the computer was a tower of a media player. A flat screen was across from the library wall.

"Bedroom?" Nick asked.

Catherine shrugged. "This would be the first time I've been here."

Just then, Nick spotted a second door. It was to the right of the door they'd just come into. He gently pushed and it gave way.

Inside was a warm-colored room. The walls were plastered with photos that had been missing from the rest of the house. Nothing had a frame. There were photos of a graduation party, dinner, and ceremony from a local high school and college. There were birthdays and dinners and first dates. There were aging parents and a growing boy. There was nothing indicating Greg _didn't_ live there.

The sheets were black with brown designs. The pillows were slightly off and one was on the floor. The mattress was on the floor, but there was a painted headboard behind it. The bedside tables held no lamps, but something that looked like those flameless candles. The closet was open and cloths were all thrown into some order. Pants and socks and all that were folded nicely in little drawers under the shirts, suits, and jackets.

Nick and Catherine lowered their weapons when they saw the room at large.

"It's like Greg at work is all over this room," Catherine commented. She looked up at the ceiling fan, it was still going. "What...?"

-Greg-

He looked up at his new ceiling. The fan's gentle swooshing noise was what helped him sleep. How could he sleep in silence? He looked at the rays of sunset hitting the opposite wall.

He hoped that they'd be in his house, as welcome as if they were in his lab. Greg smiled to himself and curled up on his right side, watching the last of the sun vanish from his little prison cell. He was all alone now and all he had was Ivan.

Maybe Ivan was right about how Greg should feel...


	4. Chapter 3: Little Melissa

Catherine was standing on a chair and touched the ceiling fan's still blades. "Nick! Grab the fingerprint kit!"

Nick darted for it and lifted the tools for Catherine. The others were processing the rest of Greg's nearly spotless house. "What's up?"

"There's a bloody smudge up here. I'm sure there's been hands up here." She began to dust the top of the fan.

Nick raised an eyebrow. "You saw that from way down here?"

Catherine moved the blades a little to one side and a dark red splash was visible. "No, I saw that."

"Someone got their fingers caught, huh?"

"I think Greg leaves this on all night and day," Catherine commented. "I mean, look at the switch by the door. It's completely covered in dust."

Nick was turning to look at it when he noticed something under the bed. He slowly lowered himself to that level and stopped. "Catherine!" He grabbed his radio. "This is dispatch, I'm going to need an ambulance at this current location!"

Catherine jumped down and her eyes widened.

A little girl was under the bed, her body was motionless, but there was a small breath once in a while.

Nick grabbed her arm and slid her out from under the bed. There was a bruise on her right cheek and arm. But it was her eyes that made the duo gasp in shock.

They moved to look at the two strangers and then closed. After a few seconds they opened again and looked in the direction her head was turned. It was like a cantos-state on her. She didn't seem to care that Nick started to lift her, or that Catherine was trying to get her attention.

Nick rushed passed Langston and Sara as the ambulance pulled up. He handed her over to the paramedics, who, to Nick's horror, announced the girl to be paralyzed. She held her eyes closed again as they checked her heart and loaded her into the ambulance. Nick slammed the doors shut for the paramedics and hit the door twice.

He turned to Catherine. "Greg never said he had a daughter or a kid in his house."

"And she doesn't show up on his wall of photos."

Langston came up to them. "Here. This might be your reason." He showed them the photo frame with it's digital photos.

It had stopped on a photo of Greg and a girl at some kind of birthday party. The girl was wearing a crown that said "Birthday Princess" and Greg looked like he had confetti trapped in his hair's spikes.

"They know each other," Nick said, taking the frame. He'd never known Greg in his "natural environment", let alone who he knew and didn't outside of work. Nick felt a sinking feeling that Greg's disappearance and this girl had something in common. Some connection.

-Langston-

The girl stirred and Langston sat forward in his chair.

At first, she looked around and then closed her eyes again.

"Hi, how're you feeling?" he asked, touching her hand. He didn't feel it twitch or even move.

She shook her head, her eyes sealed shut with tears. She suddenly coughed and the nurse, who'd been standing by the bed grabbed a oxygen mask and covered the girl's face as she choked for air.

"Just as we thought," the nurse hissed. He turned to the door. "Doctor! Send in the doctor! This girl's been paralyzed!"

There was an immediate response.

Langston quickly moved out of the way. Something was serious about the way they treated her. When they took her away, to the observation room, Langston looked at the male nurse who'd shouted. "Paralysis isn't easy to happen. Do you know what caused it?"

"We think it's a toxin in her blood. If not that, there's something obscuring her spine." The nurse sighed and looked at Langston. "Wasn't she with Sanders?"

Langston raised an eyebrow. "You know Greg Sanders?"

"Well, yeah. He's usually the one who brings her in for injuries like these. I mean, Sanders is sometimes wearing a vest from work. He's a very kind man." The nurse smiled and patted Langston on the shoulder as he passed to the door. "Sanders cares greatly for that woman."

"Woman?"

"She's got a form of Peter Pan Syndrome, that's all. She's almost nineteen." The nurse smiled at Langston, a devious smile that hid something. "She seems to be the only one who knows Sanders inside and out. It would appear that you wouldn't know much about her. Not surprising. Sanders has secrets he doesn't share with anyone but little Melissa."


	5. Chapter 4: The Off Chance

-Greg-

He could feel those cold hands touch his bare back and he hissed, squeezing his eyes shut.

"Does it hurt?" asked that cold voice.

Greg shook his head. The rope binding his hands was starting to eat into his skin. But it was the fact that his hands were cold and Greg was starting to burn up. It couldn't be helped, considering Greg hadn't really had a decent shower in a while.

"Well, if it doesn't hurt..."

Greg hissed in disapproval as those cold, strong arms surrounded him. "What?"

"Aw, Sanders, don't be like that. You're gonna be free soon enough. For now, I've left your work-family a present at your house."

Greg turned his head, which earned him a good whack to the back of the skull. He put his head down and tried to endure it. It had been a while since he'd been "fanny-smacked" and the pain to his head was probably going to be worse if he fought back now.

-Nick-

He was leaning on his knees, his thumbs pressed into his forehead. He kept muttering things Greg would say about his outside life. Trying to find some clue as to what he might have missed in all of Greg's stories.

But he was drawing a blank.

"Sir?"

His head snapped up.

"Hey!" he whispered. "Melissa?"

"Julie, actually." She smiled as she rolled onto her side. "You're Nick."

"How...?"

She smiled softly at Nick. "Greg told me. He likes how friendly you are." She closed her eyes again. "My full name is Julie-Melissa Greene." She reached out to Nick. "Greg always brought me here when I'd show up on his doorstep."

"You're a twenty-year-old, right?"

"Yeah. Because I look like a child, my dad doesn't let me out." Julie's little hand closed around two of Nick's fingers. "There's something you should know..."

-Catherine and Langston-

"Catherine!"

She followed the sound of Langston's voice into Greg's closet. "What?"

He was looking at the shelf system Greg had set up. "Notice anything?"

She examined the boxes. She didn't get what he was saying.

Langston tapped the handwriting on one of the boxes. "Greg. Greg. Unknown. Unknown. Greg. Greg. And Greg."

"Two boxes that don't belong." Catherine was reaching up when a little corner of something caught her eye. She slowly lifted the box and pulled out the envelope. "Hello, what are you?"

"You sound like Greg."

Catherine gave Sara a face and smiled. "What's up?"

"We found something in the backyard. The small, cramped, dessert backyard."

"How did Greg live like this and none of us knew?"

Sara shrugged. "All I know is that we found some blood in the shaving cream and the mildew shows that Greg's been missing at least three days."

Langston made a face. "Three days. That's the maximum to find a missing person alive."

The dead silence was punctuated, rather crudely, by an officer yelling from the front door.

"A CAR MATCHING CSI SANDERS' HAS BEEN LOCATED!"

-Nick-

His heart took a nose-dive and then a hurtling leap.

They found his car. But it was a helicopter. It was Greg's car... in the middle of the dessert... parked near a cactus.

He looked over his shoulder at Melissa, who'd fallen asleep with her arm hanging off the end of the bed.

This was the chance he'd gotten. Greg might actually still be alive. The only friend who'd gotten under his skin the way Warwick couldn't. The only person who could send Nick into a fist of rage or a blast of defeat.

Greg might ACTUALLY be alive!


	6. Chapter 5: Kamikaze Hearts

Nick was the second to arrive, but he felt his heart take a dangerous nose-dive-bomb when he noticed Brass standing next to the car, kicking sand.

He practically jumped out of Catherine's SUV. "Is he-?"

Brass looked away and slowly ambled away from the car.

Nick noticed the doors were locked, or the locks were missing. He and Catherine approached, guns drawn. Suddenly, Catherine stowed her's away and started trying the handle.

Nick realized why.

Greg lay there, across the front seats. His face was maroon with blood flakes. His eyes were open, but he seemed distant, almost not there. He was fully dressed, even his shoes were on.

Nick slammed his flat palm against the glass. "GREG!"

There was no response.

Brass grabbed Nick's wrist when he went in for another hit. "I've got ambulance and fire rescue on their way. He's been unresponsive since I arrived."

As if on cue, two paramedics ran up with a firefighter and his Jaws of Life.

Nick backed away. His nose-dive turned into a Kamikaze downward spiral. What if, just what if, they were too late? What if Greg had suffocated in the car? Was there a possibility that Greg wasn't even still around?

The paramedics were pulling his limp body out.

Nick put both of his hands on his head and tried to walk away. But he couldn't, he turned right back around and joined Catherine and Brass as they loomed over the paramedics. There was a lifelessness to Greg's gray eyes.

"He's still got a pulse!" the female paramedic called. "Get the stretcher!"

Nick felt the Kamikaze stop. There was a glimmer of light at the end of the tunnel.

The firefighter was helping lift Greg onto the gurney. It was then that they noticed Greg close his eyes and his head roll to one side.

That revealed a nasty bruise across the back of his neck. His broken knuckles turned white for a moment as the dried blood holding his hands in fists flexed. There seemed to be something holding Greg to this life.

It wasn't clear yet.

-Sara and Langston-

"Anything?" Langston asked, holding his file.

Sara nodded. "You got anything?"

"Something strange. Greg has an alarm system. The system was tripped but shut off early the morning he vanished." Langston laid the file on the light table. "Also, Greg's reported a neighbor multiple times for abuse against his daughter."

Sara made a face and then smiled. "Well, that makes sense. Here's what I got." She readjusted the photos on the light table. "The open soda we found on the counter has unknown male DNA all over it. There's no prints in Greg's house, save for the outside handle of the front door as well as the bedroom. Most of the prints are Greg's. But, when I re-did the prints on the laundry stuff, there's the unknown male again."

"You don't think Greg's..."

"We don't know much about Greg's life beyond work." Sara leaned on the table. "Greg's hiding something in his house to keep it finger-print free like this."

-Nick-

He was leaning on the wall when Sara and Langston showed up. Pushing off the wall, he picked up his kit.

The doctor came out of Greg's room. He stopped when he saw the trio. "Hold up, he's not up for questioning right now."

"We're not here for the questions," Nick answered.

The doctor sighed and looked at the closed door. "I'm not sure you want to do that. Mr. Sanders sustained multiple wounds to his torso and face. You may not be able to get much." The doctor held out the bag he'd been holding. "However, we saved his cloths."

Nick thanked him and went into the room and stopped.

Julie was standing beside Greg's bed.

Or, it should be Greg.

Bandages covered most of his face, a tube was pumping oxygen in his mouth. Greg's mouth was all that was visible and it was torn and cut. His arms were resting at his sides, both forearms bandaged with white casts. His right leg was cast as well. His neck was supported by a brace. All the bandages and casts had stains of red.

Nick had to hold his breath. "Julie, go back to your room."

Julie shook her head. She reached out and grabbed Greg's hand. "I want to be here for him." She smiled at Nick, her hand hovering above Greg's hand now. "Did you know he's psychic?"

Nick ignored her and started working on Greg's exposed knuckles. Sara and Langston joined him in getting the last of the things left on Greg's motionless body. They got the nail scrapings, chips from his knuckles, and a bit of the dried blood on his chin.

Nick watched Sara and Langston escort Julie back to her room. When he turned back, his eyes lingered on Greg's lips, the only part exposed for the world to see. His eyes traveled down Greg's neck and slender shoulders to his up-turned left hand. Nick gently put his left hand in Greg's as he felt his throat choke. He brushed his fingertips against Greg's casted palm before he pulled away. "I'll see you later, Greg."

Greg's monitors continued to beep as Nick quietly closed the door.


	7. Chapter 6: Not Quite Tears

-Catherine-

"You beeped?"

Archie nodded and held up Greg's phone. "I've got something all of you need to hear."

Catherine took note of the whole gang, even Doc Robbins. "What is it?"

Archie struck the keys and a video came up.

"Hey! Guess who?" Greg called from the video.

He paused and took a deep breath. "Since I know something's bound to happen, this video was encrypted with a program Archie can _definitively_ crack. If he doesn't, fire him." Greg smiled brightly. "So, I'm sure you're wondering. Okay, first off, Doc, I know you're squinting, put your glasses on. Catherine, uncross your arms and be open to this. Oh! And Sara, don't laugh."

Everyone took notice. Doc Robbins quickly put his glasses on and Catherine dropped her arms. Sara covered her mouth to stop from laughing out loud at how accurate Greg was.

Greg cleared his throat. "This is my house." Greg was walking up the same driveway and everything. "This is where I live half the time." He showed them around to rooms they'd been to before. When he came to the laundry room he paused. "Oh, shoot, I gotta buy some detergent. Ah, well, moving on."

Greg's room looked exactly the same.

"Welcome to my cave. Where I write my strange books and learn things that I probably shouldn't absorb before work. Take notice, I have no window." Greg lifted a huge slab of photos. There was a single photo on the window pane. "Ack, didn't see that." Greg had yanked the photo out of the way. "See? Window."

There was black static for a moment and then it cut to Greg outside in the backyard, where Sara had found the unusual things.

"So, this is the backyard. Yes, I know, bones and old wood and a broken tire swing and a bit of a truck. It's not real bones." Greg picked one up and actually bent it. "Plastic," he said as it rebounded. "My mom's dogs come over sometimes."

There was some more black static and Greg's face came back on. "So, for the interesting part. This is how my family does their Last Will and Testament stuff. We do it so everyone understands. Chances are, if you're watching this and Archie has a hold of my phone, something's happened. So, here goes squat.

"Firstly, yes, I had a boyfriend. And a girlfriend. The boyfriend's name is Ivan Greene. Dunno what happened to him. Still, he's a good guy when you want to feel safe. The girlfriend is Yvonne Jones, a high school crush of mine. Both of them might be why you're watching this and I'm not stopping you.

"Second, in my house, I tend to be paranoid someone's going to break in, hence the two linked rooms and the fingerprint free place. You guys will probably find my fingers all over my bedroom, which I never clean. Oh, and I don't use _my_ bathroom since Ivan broke the toilet. Don't ask how that one happened. I use my neighbor's bathroom in the morning. The neighbor's name is Jackson Heath and his wife is quite the perfect mother. Oh, and their two kids tend to throw water balloons at me in the morning, when I'm coming home and they're going to school.

"Thirdly, in my bedroom, I've got five boxes above my cloths in the closet. Two of them are my own, personal items that I don't use, sell, or touch. One of the boxes is stuff that I use for work. The last two are for the people looking for my body or trying to find out what happened. I used a computer label program to print up the labels. Oh! And this envelope has the key to my basement."

Greg paused and looked thoughtful. "It's under my closet. Though, it's just a cramped space. Don't send Nick down there. It's dark, like really dark, and kinda small.

"And lastly, Catherine, thanks for letting me be my own person and rise to the occasion. Sara, thanks for the laughs and the fun memories I'll keep. Archie, I'm sorry that you hacked my phone like this, but thanks for letting them hear me out. Doc, I hope you're getting on well, and I hope you don't have to cut me open anytime soon. Hodges, I still owe you one for letting me crash at your house when I locked myself out of my car and house, oh, and thanks for being such good competition in the lab. Henry, David, I had so much fun being one of the Wise Men with you on Christmas Eve that one year. Jim, keep up the good work and hold your head high, it does you good."

Greg closed his eyes and looked down. "Since everyone's here, I might as well say it out-right, huh?" He looked up again. This time, they saw his eyes soften and water just a bit. "Nick, um, just because you pick on me and laugh with me, doesn't make this okay. I know the last time we got close as friends, you pushed back and I couldn't hold on and you told me off, in a sense." He bit his lip and quickly rubbed his face before he went on. "So, if it's okay with you, I'd like you to know that I have the world's largest crush on you." He chuckled and leaned back.

He shook his head. "Oh, god almighty, I have a crush on you. I love it when you poke fun at things I do. I loved it when you said 'Greggo' to Catherine. God dang you. When you get hurt, I feel bad. I know you don't care, I know it doesn't matter, I know it compromises my work ethic, but what the hay? I don't think it matters."

He dropped his head and then straightened up. "After my attack in the alley that one night, it turns out that I've got a ten percent chance to survive another attack. So, chances are, I won't survive this case. If I do, I don't think I'm coming back to the lab. Sorry guys, I know, I know. I'm a pain in the rear, a real piece of work, a good friend, a dirt bag, a rival, heck, I'm even a punching bag sometimes. But it's all been worth the risk of life.

"Besides, this isn't the end. You better go get them. Whoever did this to me, I know you'll find them. You always do in the end." Greg smiled like his old self again. "Go get 'em guys. I'm rooting for you."

Archie let the last bit play. Greg was turning off the lights in his bedroom before it flickered off.

The dead silence was all too much. There was an inhale, but no exhale from any of them. Nick finally moved. He leaned against the wall, his right hand covering his eyes before sliding over his mouth.

Catherine turned to look at the Texan and she saw the little glimmer run down Nick's cheek. She reached out and patted his shoulder. "We'll do our best to get this guy."

"No," Nick whispered, hoarse from the silence. He pushed off the wall. "No... no, no, no, no. Catherine, we _will_ get this guy." Nick walked out of the room, rushing down the halls.

Archie stood up and came to stand beside Catherine. "There's something else."

Catherine looked at Archie. "What more could there possibly be?"

"I didn't want to show Nick, not after what Greg said." Archie sat down and typed away at his keyboard. "You know the guy he mentioned? Ivan Greene?"

"Yeah, his ex. What about it?"

Archie pulled up some files. "I pulled up these files on Ivan. He's got quiet the rap sheet. He's been in and out of jail since he was eleven. Mostly for sexual assault on young teenagers. But his last one was for assault on his boyfriend." Archie opened the file. "Now, when I took a look at the file, I found these photos."

Greg's face was on all of the photos. It showed his torso with massive amounts of bruising along his abdomen. There was bruises on his upper legs and arms.

"The boyfriend, Greg, reported Ivan to the police. Ivan served his four years in prison and got out. And last year, he vanished off the map, along with his daughter, Melissa Greene." Archie pulled up the photo of Ivan, only to show them that Ivan was a blonde with amber eyes. "This is his mug shot. The police believe he changed his looks. All his tattoos would show off his rap sheet."

"I take it he had them removed?"

"Yup. That's what I'm guessing. I don't know what he looks like now, but we owe this one to Greg."

"Get me his last know address. I'm going to pay him a visit," Catherine said.

She marched out the door and followed Nick's path. She found him sitting on the curb outside the main doors. She stood behind him and listened to his tears.

"I know, I know, we've got work to do." Nick lowered his left arm from his face as he gave a little sniff.

Catherine knelt beside Nick. "Hey, don't be upset. We might have a lead."

Nick seemed to be off in his own world. "Catherine, did it ever feel lonely when you lost your husband?"

"Oh, yeah. You can't sleep on a broken heart." Catherine sat beside Nick. "Of all the people, I would've thought that Greg would've chosen wisely." She nudged Nick. "After all you've been through, I think someone like Greg would do your heart some good."

Nick shook his head and looked down. With a deep breath he looked at Catherine. "Of all the freaks in the world, I had to have the one with the problems, didn't I?" He smiled at her. "I actually like him." He covered his face and took a deep breath. "What can we do right now?"

"Visit the ex." Catherine's phone beeped and she checked the address. "Let's pay Mr. Greene a visit, shall we?"

Nick agreed, standing up.

-Sara-

She slowly opened the box that Greg had specified and found Greg's journals. They were dated by year on the outside.

Along with the journals, she found printed e-mails, check stubs, envelopes with birthday cards and the like, and then she found something out of the ordinary.

A shoe box. It was spray-painted black and had an orange spot on the top. It was somewhat heavy.

As Sara's hands pried it open, she thought it might be something like a personal piece of Greg.

And she was almost right.


	8. Chapter 7: Nothing But Fluttering Hearts

(**A/N:** i realize this fan fic is contradictory to life... i kinda made up the physical part of peter pan... yeah, i realize that... it's all in good story fun =D oh, and nickygirl, he's the lo-down... greg's not dead... i can't kill off my fav lab rat =D)

Nick was the one to ring the doorbell.

"Just a minute!"

When the door opened, Nick was staring into familiar eyes. They reminded him of Julie at Greg's bedside.

"Can I help you?"

"I have a warrant to search your house." Catherine was going to step through when Ivan pulled the door shut.

Nick's flat palm hit the door. "We're coming in."

Ivan didn't respond he just held up a finger. "I need to get my shoes out from behind the door. I wasn't going to lock her out." He moved the door again and started tossing mismatching boots and shoes out from behind the door. He opened it fully. "Come in."

Nick handed Ivan the warrant as he passed by. He made his way into the kitchen at the back of the house as Catherine started with the living room.

Nick noticed, the moment he stepped into the kitchen, it was spotless. The trash was full of garbage from fast food places and the dishes were neatly placed in the drying rack, despite there being a dishwasher. Nick thought it was strange, but still leaned down and scooped up the trash can.

"Mr. Greene, do you know a Greg Sanders?"

Ivan looked lost and then shrugged. "I don't know who that is."

Nick had the sneaking suspicion that Ivan knew but didn't say anything. "Sir, do you eat take-out often?"

"Yeah. And since I live with my daughter, we don't usually take out trash for a week."

Nick nodded and looked around. "Mind if I go into you back room?"

"Sure." Ivan's voice sounded a bit unnerved by that comment from Nick.

Nick pulled out his flashlight and pushed the back door open to the first bedroom.

It was decorated like a teenage girl's bedroom. The next room looked like an office space with two computers and a laptop collecting dust near the door.

The third door was locked with a deadbolt. Nick took note of that and looked around. The only other door was a bathroom.

"Sir, do you always deadbolt your door?"

Ivan shook his head. "I have no idea what that's for."

Nick was about to ask something else when-

"HEY!"

Catherine hit the wall as Ivan made a run for it.

"Damn," Nick hissed as he ran down the hall and out to the street. "Hey..."

Sara was holding a plank of wood and Ivan was on the ground, wreathing in pain as he clutched his face. "Hey. I came to give you some good news."

"Which would be?"

"Greg's stabilized and was moved to the ICU to start his recovery. Oh, and he was awake for a short time." Sara gave Nick a little smile before she put the plank of wood down. "He was worried you were hurt or something since you weren't there."

Nick felt the flutter that had nothing to do with his running Ivan out the door.

"Nikki!"

"Sara got him, Catherine." Nick gave Catherine a gesture to the handcuffed Ivan on the grass.


	9. Chapter 8: A Dream of Nightmares

Nick was walking towards Archie's lab when he noticed Hodges come into the hall. "Hey, what's up?"

Hodges shrugged. "Depends. Want good news or bad news?"

"Bad news?"

Hodges nodded. "Okay, bad news, the soda can we found at Greg's house only had his finger prints on it and a very diluted mixture of saliva." Hodges gave Nick one of three files. "Now, the bad news. Ivan might not be our guy. There's no sign of Ivan in Greg's house. There is an unknown female's fingerprints in the nasty bathroom, however."

"So?" Nick asked, though he had a feeling he knew the answer already.

"That's what this is." Hodges held up the last file. "Greg had a rape kit done on him. Sara's request. Guess what we found?"

-Sara-

"Hey, Mia, did... you..."

Mia wasn't in her lab, but there was an open file with a purple Post-It stuck on.

Sara read the Post-It. "Check this out?" She flipped the Post-It aside and gasped. "No," she hissed.

"Sara! Thought you'd be back before I was able to snag the last bit." Mia shrugged.

Sara nodded and stepped back. "So, what?"

Mia set down the four new pages. "Possible. There's female and male epithelial all over Greg's rape kit. I can't distinguish which came from where, as there's no way to determine the exact time. However, I found something else." Mia gestured to the four pages.

Sara picked up the second of the papers. "This one says Greg's got something strange in his DNA."

"Yeah, that anomaly is common with Norwegian mixes. It's because Norwegians have an extremely high tolerance, when it comes to alcohol and how quickly the body digests it. But check this." Mia held out the last of the papers. "Greg's CT scan showed me something that explains pages one and three."

"Greg's blood is thinning and his adrenaline and ecstasy are off the charts!"

"Look at the concussion he suffered from whatever happened to him."

The CT scan revealed a blood clot in Greg's brain as well as the thin veins. It looked almost like Greg was having a huge clot that might actually damage his brain.

"So, you're saying Greg could die?"

"Oh, no, because his blood is thinning, for whatever reason, the blood clot will break up. Soon enough, Greg will be in the clear." Mia leaned on the counters. "Greg hadn't bathed in the four days he's been away from home. His body contained so much DNA, mostly male, but I'm confused about the female DNA. Still, the DNA is pointing to foul play and imminent danger."

"Two suspects."

"Three."

Sara raised an eyebrow. "Three?"

"Greg knew one girl, but Ivan's missing one foot to drive the car. So, that leaves, who lured Greg to the trap?"

"And who drove him into the desert."

-Greg-

His eyes still hurt, but they were closed and a slight pressure was keeping most of the tingling away. He didn't move, as he was trying to feel his surroundings.

"Greg?"

His heart fluttered and he heard the monitor say so.

"Nick," he muttered. He raised his hand just a bit off the bed from the side he thought Nick was on.

He felt a hand catch his.

"Greg, I know it's early, but I need you to try to remember something."

Greg smiled. "Nick, what is it?"

"Do you remember who drove you to the desert?"

Greg swallowed hard. That thought made images flash before his eyes. He repeated them to Nick as they came. They weren't in order, he knew that much.

There was a Joshua tree with one, huge branch falling. There was a truck with a smudged hand print on the back, near the end of the bed. There was a sunlit room with white-washed walls and white furniture. There was a door without a knob on the inside. There was a little girl's laugh as he saw the bat come down on him again. There was Ivan...

Greg suddenly choked on the last part. He clenched Nick's hand to reassure him that he could come out of the darkness soon. When he couldn't breath, he raised his left hand to his throat and started to cough. He felt an oxygen mask fall over his face and he leaned back, breathing again.

"Greg, you didn't have to strain."

Greg shook his head. "You need to know." He huffed a deep breath. "You're not wearing your ring."

Nick's hand let go for a second and then came back. "You're right. I put it on the wrong hand."

Greg let go this time. He guessed right as to where Nick's face was. "You're sweating. You ran here, didn't you?"

"Sort of."

Greg smiled. He felt Nick's rough stubble across his jaw line as his hand fell back to the bed. "It's strange."

"What?"

"I'm kind of blind right now." Greg took a deep breath and felt the sharp pain in his chest that shot down his torso. He hissed in pain and felt Nick's warm hand touch his chest.

"Breath slowly and a little at a time."

"How-?"

Nick just chuckled. "You forget I was trapped in the dark before, too."

"Yeah, at least you had hopes of being saved."

Nick's hand didn't move from right over Greg's heart. "You think we'd give up on you that easy, Greg?"

"Yeah. Three days and no chance of finding someone alive."

Nick's hand moved up and touched Greg's face. "I'm not going to give up if you don't."

Greg smiled into his darkness. "Then I'll keep fighting so you can keep up." Greg felt the weariness of being awake come back to him. His breathing started to mellow down.

"Have a good sleep, Greg. Don't worry." Nick's voice was a whisper in the dark. "We'll help you fight off your nightmares."

Greg smiled as the oxygen mask was removed and Nick held his hand. Maybe he'd actually dream this time.


	10. Chapter 9: Devastation in All

"Look, Julie, I need you to tell me."

Julie shook her head. "I kind of promised I wouldn't."

Nick sighed and sat back. The light filtering from behind her into the interrogation room. "We need you to tell us everything you know."

Julie shook her head and closed her mouth tight. "I won't. I have the right."

Nick shook his head and got up. "Then you'll stay here until we get what we need from you, no matter what it takes to get it out of you."

Nick closed the door behind him and saw Catherine standing there, her arms crossed. "Nikki, you're too gentle."

"I know, but there's nothing else I can do right now." He suddenly remembered something. "How's Greg?"

"Still sleeping. The nurses are keeping a close eye on him." Catherine smiled at Nick's relief. "Nikki, go home, change, do something to get your mind off this case. It's already daybreak, we have to hand the case over to Conrad."

Nick agreed and held out the file for Catherine. "Going home sounds like a good idea." He sighed and walked away. "See you tomorrow night."

"Drive safe, little Nikki."

Nick smiled to himself.

-Sara-

She was just punching in when she noticed Conrad standing nearby. "Hey, what's..."

"Greg went missing two hours ago. His hospital room is in ruins. There's nothing but struggle written all over the place."

Sara's blood ran cold. "Does anyone else know?"

"I've already alerted Nick and Catherine." He handed her the keys to one of the SUVs. "Here, get going, their probably there already."

Sara snatched the keys and ran down the hall, slipping her coat on. '_Why is it _always_ Greg? What horrible thing did he do to deserve all of this?_'

-Greg-

He was breathing hard. The leather restraints were painfully tight. It tore into his bare ankles and bare wrists. There wasn't any way to see still. He had to remove the bandages from his eyes, but that was still making it worse. His eyes weren't healed from being hurled into a bat.

"Why are you doing this?"

"Ivan didn't finish you off, so, I will."

The girl's voice gave Greg the chills. "Why?"

"I'm just like that." The door slammed shut and Greg felt the soft rumble of an engine. He struggled and yelled, but the girl just laughed from the other side of the doors.

It was then that Greg knew who it was. "JULIE!"

The truck was moving.


	11. Chapter 10: Just Between Us

-Nick-

He slammed his bare fist into the wall. "THAT'S NOT GOOD ENOUGH!"

"Nick, calm down!" Mandy said, grabbing his arm. "We'll find him."

Nick turned on her. "By who?" His anger seethed in his voice. "Ecklie lost the trail! _We_ lost the trail!"

Catherine grabbed Nick's shirt and turned him around. She slapped him so hard he stumbled against the wall. "We'll find him! Now, either get a hold of yourself or you're off this case." She had her finger right in Nick's face when she said that. Nick's demeanor changed and she lowered her hand. "Ecklie, we need to put a notice out so we can find Greg. He's been through a lot already."

"His mental state won't be easily contained." Ecklie shrugged. "So, I'll alert people who handle him in the police departments and CSIs to be sure not to frighten him."

"Greggo."

Everyone looked at Nick. "Tell them to call him 'Greggo' rather than his name." He was rubbing his sore hand. "I called him that and he said his nana used to call him that." He sighed and looked at them. "It's like Grissom called me 'poncho' once."

"Right." Ecklie turned around and left them.

Nick looked away. "Now what do we do?"

"We can't do anything but wait." Catherine touched Nick's shoulder. "We don't have a choice." She gently squeezed his shoulder. "Nick..."

Nick put his face in his hands.

"Lemme talk to him, alone."

Mandy agreed and Nick felt his shoulders start to quiver just so.

"Nick, tell me..."

Nick leaned back and looked at Catherine. "I've seen him go through a lot." He laughed before he gave a little sniff. He looked away from Catherine and at his clenched hands. "I've seen him through the worst and the best of his life here. I watched him grow up and become the man he is."

Catherine touched Nick's hands and they unclenched from each other. "Nick, is it possible..."

Nick nodded. "I am _over_ more than just liking him." He pressed the heels of his hands into his eyes. "I only realized it when he was in the hospital. I sat beside him for hours hoping he'd wake back up." He lowered his hands again. "I held his hand. I watched him suffer through his sleep." He looked at Catherine. "I _watched_ him fall in love, over and over. I fell for him."

"Hard," Catherine commented. "Nick, listen, we'll find him. I know it's hard, but you have to keep this between us."

"Shouldn't I be telling _you_ that?"

Catherine smiled. She patted his knee. "We'll find Greg. He's been through so much already."

Nick nodded.

"I'll give you a minute." Catherine left him be.

The hallway of the hospital seemed to desert Nick then. There wasn't a soul around.

He reached into his pocket and pulled out his cell phone. He was flipping through all his unsent messages to Greg. All the things he kept inside. This was just another thing to-

"You've gotta be kidding me!" Nick lunged out of his seat and ran after Catherine.


	12. Chapter 11: Greg's Revelation

(**A/N:** i realize, only now of all times, that this fan fic is "popular" because so many people are putting this on their Alert List or Favorite List. that being said, i'd like all my readers to know that this story is too much fun i may keep torturing greg... which will bite at me pretty hard)

-Greg-

He felt his hands being lifted off the metal slab he'd been laying on for hours. There was something strong about those hands.

He was lowered into a metal box. He felt the cold and shivered as they threw something over his body.

Greg was tired of fighting, he just wanted to lay still and wait for it to end. To wait for that light at the end of the tunnel. For the angel to come down and lead him away to his place of rest.

"Shouldn't we pack the dirt down?"

"They'd have trouble finding him. She said make it hard."

"Good idea."

Greg let his body remain limp. He was too tired from struggling in the truck to even try to fight it off now. It was bound to happen. It was going to hard to get over this new hurtle.

The metal lid was slammed into place. There was a single hole to give Greg just a few more moments of air.

-Sara-

"Ugh, this is infuriating." She was leaning on the light table, going over everything they'd documented. "He shouldn't be alive, but he is. Greg's friend, Julie, has been missing and Ivan was in our custody when Greg went missing."

"All roads lead to Rome."

She looked over her shoulder. "Ray, now's hardly the time."

"I thought I'd come to you first." He set a file down and flipped it open. "Greg was investigating his neighbor, Julie's house. He left the house with his shoes by the door." Langston let her look at everything there, from what Greg had found.

"He found traces of scalp and hair DNA." Sara looked at the photos of Greg's wounds and all the documents. "Nothing makes sense. Why would Julie do this? She had it all in play."

Langston suddenly flipped one of the photos around and looked at it through the back. "Does that look like a child's shoe?"

Sara gasped and quickly flipped it back over. "We thought Greg's broken arm was from something like a wooden bat, like he'd said."

"No, he said it was to his face."

Sara dropped the file onto the light table. "Then Greg's not out of the woods yet."

-Nick-

"So, I had Mandy run fingerprint analysis on the soda can we found, just to be sure, there's Julie's fingerprints all over it." He handed it to Hodges. "Did you find anything?"

"I did, in fact." Hodges handed Nick another file. "Greg's work is done. His hunch was right." Hodges waited for Nick to be amazed. Instead, he noticed Nick flipping between two pages. "What?"

"Hodges," Catherine stopped. "Oh, good, Nick. C'mon. I've got something to show you."


	13. Chapter 12: Remember Pictures

"Greg was helping us investigate a possible double-homicide at Julie's house." Catherine laid down the photos of the things Greg had documented. "Here's the catch. He found hints of abuse in the house. Greg couldn't put two and two together just then."

Nick leaned on the light table as Sara and Langston joined them. "So, what you're saying is that Greg stumbled across something in that house?"

Sara reached out and touched Nick's elbow. "Hey, I don't know if it helps, but he was doing his job and he was doing it well."

"After Greg processed the house, he sent all his evidence to the proper people to be tested and analyzed correctly. All the evidence points to Julie. She's not as innocent as she seems."

"That's because she's not a girl." Sara put her file down and flipped it open to a jail record. "Julie isn't her real name. Her son, Ivan, lives with her and she's nearly forty-seven-years-old. Meet Alexis Brown from North Las Vegas. She's got hypopituitarism. She's been a child virtually all her life. She's also been put in Juvenile since she was nine. Ivan is her only son from her late husband who had a form of dwarfism. She has a history of killing birds, cats, neighbors' pets, and sending boys or males to the hospital."

Nick felt his throat close up, but the words came out. "Was it her?"

The silence was overwhelming and they all looked down at the innocent face of Alexis.

There was a knock and everybody looked up.

Brass shrugged. "Thought I'd tell you, we found something. Julie turned up at a bus stop."

-Greg-

He finally had the strength to reach around him. He could feel the smooth, uncut surface of the metal around him. He felt his hands find his space to be made of harsh metal. It reminded him of the time Nick had been buried alive. He could still see it clearly, how scared Nick was when they pulled him out.

Greg was finding his own fortress within his own mind, but he couldn't reach out to move off his back. The space was too small and the metal was starting to feel warm from his body heat. Oxygen was slowly dying, but he knew he'd be okay.

Somehow.

He decided to cross his arms over his chest and take a deep breath.

He could hear Nick laughing at something. Catherine was scolding Hodges or Greg about something. Mandy was hollering from across the hall at him. Archie was tacking away at his keyboard with his earphones in and drumming to a beat with his feet. He could hear the sounds of Doc rolling his dead friends about.

It was amazing how easily Greg could remember the sounds. But his mind went fuzzy on specific details about their faces or emotions.

Suddenly, he saw his house. Walking up the pathway, into his house. The spotless home he'd come to live in. The plain hallways, the white-washed kitchen with the white tiles, appliances, drapes over the window, and even the counter and cabinets. He passed into his washroom with his detergent still sitting on the top. He picked up his folded laundry in it's basket and made his way passed his study and writing space and into his bedroom.

Everything was just as he'd left it. The pictures of his closest friends.

But under his lamp was the only picture he wouldn't let anybody touch. The picture he'd taken of Nick snoozing away at work.

It was the only thing he could see right now. The gently slope of Nick's back, the way his lips were parted just so. The way his face looked so relaxed. How the hand with the class ring was tucked under the opposite arm. How Nick's dark gray shirt fit tightly to his harsh shoulders.

It was clear as day and it was back in Greg's second week of working at the lab. When nobody knew his name nor cared if he was alive or not. He knew all their names, but nobody knew his name, well, not really.

It seemed like Nick kind of knew who he was. He would try and remember Greg's last name. That made Greg take the photo. Somebody would care if he disappeared or if something happened to him...

-Nick-

He stepped out of his car as the officers parted.

Alexis was kicking her feet back and forth as she let her hands press into the bench on either side of her. She was wearing a plain, flowered dress and a pair of white Mary-Jane's that matched the white bow in her hair.

"Alexis?"

She turned, her face going from innocent and happy to enraged and shock. "Who? Me?"

"I know you're name is Alexis Brown."

She sighed and crossed her arms. "What do you want?"

Nick approached her, tension obvious in his movements. "Where did you put Greg? We can't find him."

"Away. He didn't want my poor son, so, nothing but anger for him there." Just as before, she gave Nick a perky smile. "You should've promised him you'd always let him die."

Nick's heart constricted. She'd been overhearing his promise to the unconscious Greg. She'd been around when Nick wanted that time alone with Greg. "Why?"

"Because he's not very bright and didn't seem to notice your pass at him. Most men and women would." Alexis leaned back, against the mesh backing of the bus stop. She smiled at Nick. "If you were hoping to be his first, you're wrong. Though, you can still have his kiss. Greg hasn't kissed anybody with all his heart." She looked Nick right in the eye. There was steel in her heart that made her colder than ice.

It was taking everything Nick had not to strangle the girl. Greg was the closest thing he had to a brother this far from home. It was also the only thing Greg and Nick could have without Nick making it obvious how much he loved Greg.

It hit Nick like a sack of bricks.

"You figure it out?"

Nick turned to one of the officers. "Get CSI Willows on the line!" He looked back at Alexis. "You wouldn't really...?"

"Oh, no. I have." Alexis smiled. "He's been buried in the desert somewhere. Ivan was done with him and just threw him away along with the other bodies of boys he's had who didn't want him. The promise was that if they can give him what he wants, then Ivan can set them free. The freedom is more of a freedom of death."

Nick knew what she meant and ran to the officer who had got Catherine on the line. "Catherine, we need to get out, into the desert! Greg might still be alive!"

"What?"

"Well, he might be dead soon." Nick looked over his shoulder at Alexis who was being handcuffed and thrown into one of the cruisers. "Alexis said Ivan buried Greg int he desert somewhere."


	14. Chapter 13: Resounding Words

(**A/N:** sorry for the YEAR-LONG wait... i'd lost the files for this story when i was having issues with something. i'm not going to do a speedy rap-up... i've got something bigger planned for you guys who are STILL along for the ride D=! )

-Nick-

He heard the gravel crunch as he jumped out of the SUV. He saw Catherine and Langston trying to dig up a spot. Nick reached out and took the shovel offered to him and joined them as he wished, beyond all wishes, that he could at least look at Greg's smile again.

"There's several boxes made of metal still radiating heat from the morning." Catherine looked up at Nick. "We don't know if he's still alive, but this was the coldest box, so, we think it's the newest one."

Nick ignored her and kept digging in. He wanted to find him, to push open that box and pull Greg out and into the safety of the living world. He could see the paramedics out of the corner of his eye. He oculd see them anxiously waiting to see if they could help the CSIs.

There was a soft "thunk" and Nick felt the revibe of metal.

He and Catherine kept digging until they uncovered a metal box that was about five feet tall. There was a single letter engraved on it's surface.

G.

Nick noticed there was a small hole and the hole was the leverage they needed.

He reached down and pounded on the metal. "GREG!"

There was no response.

Catherine jumped onto the surface and began to use metal cutters to open the box. "Greg!" she called out as she snipped.

Every clip opened the box wider and wider. There was a sudden noise that made them stop.

A little groan with a gasp.

Nick went around and shone his flashlight inside to see those familiar curls. He reached in and put his hand on Greg's hand. "Greg, c'mon. Stay with us. Don't leave just yet."

Catherine pulled the lid enough to get Greg free. As they lifted him out, she saw Nick do something she'd never seen him do. He gently touched Greg's face before his fingers etched their way down to his shoulder to support his back. It was the gesture she'd only see lovers do and that she used to do all the time.

Slowly, Nick laid him on the stretcher and the paramedics whisked him to their white truck. They were starting to hook him up to IVs and yelling questions at him.

Nick dropped to his knees, finally feeling a lighter-than-air feeling. Slowly, he sat down, covering his face. He knew why he couldn't smile. He could feel it in the air as they heard the paramedics yelling and hollering for things from each other and Greg. He felt the fear gripping him as he slowly dropped his hands. Slowly, he looked at the sandy dirt on his hands and his heart virtually grabbed him and held him there as the others ran passed him to help the paramedics restrain Greg as he convulsed into a seizure.

He finally felt a hand on his shoulder and realized the ambulance was gone.

Ray slowly knelt beside him, his hand never leaving Nick's shoulders. His face showed the bad news and Nick looked away, his face growing cold with infuriating wrath. "The most we can do is hope Greg survives."

Nick knew better than to pray for a miracle. Their line of work had no miracles. It only had dead ends and unhappy people. It bred revenge from the prayers for the miracles. It gave rise to close friends and a tight-knit posy. But Greg's life was something Nick wasn't banking on to lose this easily.

Greg was very careful. Even at home.

Nick got to his feet and went to the car with Catherine, who held the door open for him. "What can we do?"

She gave him a gentle hug. "The most we can do is pray that we've done good by him." She touched Nick's hand with the ring. "This class ring was something Greg admired. Don't lose it. In case he wakes up, you should hold his hand with this one." She put her hand over the ring and smiled at Nick. "We can still hope."

At the lab, Nick was changing out of his dusty cloths and bringing his shirt down when he noticed the whole team was gathering to get updates from Catherine. Nick stood at the back and took out his cell phone.

He selected the contact and sent the message Greg had always sent him when he was in his dark hours.

"Stay strong. Strength comes in numbers. Don't cry alone. Be good and fight back. Smile in the face of danger. Wave your flag of pride! Show them who's stronger!"

He smiled when they all looked at him. He made a fist and did a little fist pump before he picked up his jacket and pointed outside. "I'm goin' for a walk. Anyone wanna come?"


	15. Chapter 14: The Words Heard

Nick was running. His breath was coming in short and strained as he ran. Slowly, he was coming to the elevator.

He pushed the button to go up and saw it was only one floor up. He stepped back and tried to catch his breath. He was struggling to keep it all in check. His heart was thundering in his ears and his hands trembled. His emotions were at the worst stage. His eyes were on the verge of tears. Still, he was able to hold himself together this far, right? Just a bit more and he would be "home free" as it was.

When they opened onto the fourth floor, he darted out and ran to the room.

The door was open and he stopped, breathing and leaning on the door.

"Is he-?"

Greg waved. He was severely bandaged, but one eye was somewhat able to see. His good arm had an ace bandage holding it together. "Hey, Nick."

Sara patted his knee and got up. "We needed to switch shifts anyways." She smiled at Nick, knowing full well her message had sent him into a frenzy with just a "hurry" sent away. "You've got the night shift this time."

Nick nodded and waited for her to leave before he stepped into the room. "Hey."

Greg swallowed and then smiled a little kinder. "Hey. You look like you just came from work."

"I did." Nick was about to leave the door when he heard Greg ask to close it for the evening. As it clicked, Nick felt the air grow lighter and felt Greg's ease with the door shut. Facing the door, Nick opened his mouth. "Greg, Archie showed us your cell phone's videos."

"I know."

"Did you know that we almost cried?"

"I know."

"Greg, do you realize how badly you've gotten us stressed?" Nick turned around.

Greg looked sad, but was staring at his knees. "I know."

"Don't you know how badly we worried when you were in a paralyzed state?" he almost yelled.

"I know," Greg whispered.

Nick approached the bed. "And do you know how many times you gave me a heart attack?" Nick asked, putting his left hand on the bed and raising his right to touch Greg's hair.

"I know."

Nick's face softened and he gently kissed the crown of Greg's bandaged head. "Do you know how much I missed your voice?"

Greg shook his head. "No."

Nick eased onto the bed and touched Greg's face. "Look at me."

"I can't." Greg began to tremble as he slowly rubbed his cast. "I can't just... look at you like that."

Nick smiled, a chuckle escaping his lips. "Just raise your face so I can see how badly you need to recover."

Greg's eye was closed, but his tear still fell. "I wish I hadn't let it happen."

Nick sighed and finally let go of Greg's face. He leaned on his knees, letting his hands fold into prayer. He stared at his thumbs. "Nobody could've ever know what was gonna happen, Greg. We could just hope that we know when it comes down to it. We can always pray that we're wrong and stand up to take the next big blow."

Greg smiled. "I know."

Nick reached behind him and stopped Greg from rubbing his cast. He slowly turned back to Greg. "I know it's a bit late, but I've got something to say and you need to hear it." He looked up at Greg's unmoved face. "You don't have to acknowledge that you hear me, but just let me say my piece and you can go about watching TV and finishing your dinner."

Greg slowly nodded once.

Nick took Greg's good hand and held it in his, along with Greg's bad hand. "Okay, firstly, I wanted to say that I'm sorry I couldn't help figure this stuff out sooner. Second of all, I want to say that I'm over joyed you're home." He gently pushed the crown of his head touched Greg's. "I wanted you to come back, no matter what. I would go mad if I didn't have you to be there to get me ramped up at work." Nick felt the tears. "I want, more than anything, to open you and your heart back up to the world. It took me far too long to do so."

Nick slowly backed away and sighed.

Greg's lose fingers gently clamped on Nick's hands.

Nick closed his eyes. "One more thing, Greg." He leaned forward and his breath sent chills down Greg's spine. "I've fallen pretty hard for you, Greg, and I'm not about to lose your smile to Ivan or anyone else."

Greg almost laughed, but just got out a chuckle as he lifted his hand to hold onto Nick's neck. He looked forward as he gave him a one-armed hug. "It's good to hear."


	16. Chapter 15: Ivan's Back

Sara touched Catherine's shoulder. "We have to tell Nick about Greg's secret."

"No." Catherine looked out the windows of her office. "We have to let Greg tell him that. Nick doesn't need to know. The trial's beginning soon and Greg's in good enough condition to start his interviews with the lawyers."

Sara nodded and looked towards Greg's vacant lab. "You think we should be worried about Nick?"

"You mean his breakdown?"

"Yeah. What if something happens like this again?"

Catherine smiled at Sara. "Remember when he got beaten up real bad?" She looked up, closing her eyes. "I remember having to walk with Greg to and from his car. He was afraid of the moonlight because he felt like they'd jump out and hurt him at any time. Nick helped him through it by always waiting for Greg at the entrance and to always walk him outside and half way to his car."

Sara remembered what she'd done for Greg before.

Greg had the explosion to deal with and she'd helped him ease back into the daily life. She'd been the first to help him come one step closer to normality he'd missed. Nick had been the first to make him laugh after that.

Greg's emotions had always been off cue for someone who was supposed to be distant from the cases. But Sara had always known how to draw him back.

Catherine touched her shoulder, drawing her out. "C'mon. Greg's suffered enough. Let's put this sucker behind bars."

-Nick-

He finally opened his eyes and smiled.

Greg was sleeping peacefully and his monitors were still beeping just a little at a time. He slowly got to his feet. Being in and out of sleep was taking it's toll on his shoulders and back, but it was worth it to wake up holding Greg's hand. To see the person he wanted most sleeping away was worth every sore and ache.

He suddenly noticed Greg's eyes flutter under his lids.

Nick was about to reach out when he heard a single, solitary knock on the door. He darted to the door, hiding behind it as it eased open. He breathed deep when the door stopped short of him. He heard the footsteps approach the bed and slowly moved around the door.

Ivan was standing at the foot of Greg's bed.

Greg's open palm flexed and his eyes fluttered again.

Nick slowly approached behind Ivan, slowly easing the hammer down to fire the gun. He held it to Ivan's back, but waited to see what Ivan wanted. He had to have something good to use in court. If Ivan tried to hurt Greg, that would be proof that mother and son worked together on this.

Ivan reached down and slid the blanket up Greg's shins. His fingers brushed against Greg's exposed skin, waking him.

Groggily, Greg turned his head so his mostly healed eye could see whatever woke him. He gasped and slowly raised himself. "Ivan."

"Greg." He was slowly leaning forward and Nick had to bite his lip. Ivan's fingers slowly worked on the muscles on the shins. "I guess it's good you're alone." He was sliding to the side and Nick had to follow so his shadow wouldn't show. But that also meant Greg wouldn't see him until Ivan moved closer. "I want to make you suffer. I wanted to make you feel pain. You should be dead."

Greg's eye spotted Nick, but he acted like he was turning his head away. "They released you, didn't they?"

"They had to. It's Alexis being charged. I'm free to do as I please. After all, I escaped that restraining order you tried on me." He leaned down and his hand moved up Greg's torso to his throat. His hand slowly clamped down. "Now, I'm going to make you suffer so nobody will want you but me. I know how beautiful your body is and just how sweet your blood tastes."

Nick had to act then.

The monitors beeped.

Nick pressed the gun into Ivan's neck. "Back off." He waited for a response. He noticed Greg's hand clenched into a fist and took that as a sign that danger was coming.

He ducked as Ivan went for a swing at him. Nick fired the gun at the ceiling to alert the changing officers. The two coming in to the shift came running in as Nick was punched in the face, pretty hard. He went down, but got back up. He wrestled with Ivan as Ivan picked up his gun.

Greg had turned away and was coughing nastily. The female officer used her body to keep Ivan from hurting him. The male officer dashed forward to help Nick.

Nick got a nice whack with the back of Ivan's head. He was about to let go when he noticed Ivan had a weak base. Nick checked his memory.

He put Ivan's right arm over his shoulders and pushed Ivan's head down before the spring motion got Nick into a suplex. The impact hurt both of them, but Nick had braced for the impact on the moving table and it's metal pieces. Nick hissed with a bit of pain before he twisted Ivan's arm so he was face-down on the floor.

A small trail of blood escaped Nick and got into his eye.

"NICK!" was all he heard as Ivan turned and the side of Nick's head collided with the wall.


	17. Chapter 16: Something to Say

Langston laughed when Nick groaned. "You're alive after all."

Greg was in a wheelchair and Nick was shocked to see that. But he gave him a smile. He looked at Ray. "Did we get him?"

"He's in custody. He did bang you up, but not real bad." Sara looked at Greg as she and Catherine went to push him closer. "Greg hit the call button for his nurse when you got slammed into the wall. The monitors were pretty distracting to Ivan. He virtually screamed and Greg's pretty tough when it comes to you."

Nick blinked and sat more up. "What did you do?"

Greg opened his palm and let something drop onto his lap as he rested his hand on the armrest of the wheelchair. "This." The silver piece of metal shone with blood, but it was pronged and Nick realized it was a fork. "It's kind of lethal if you throw it at a certain velocity."

Nick laughed and swung his legs over the edge of the bed and went to Greg. He knelt down and touched Greg's hand. "Thanks. I heard you call me, but I wasn't sure if you were calling me or worried about me." He pitched forward and kissed Greg's forehead. "C'mon, back to your room."

Sara released the handle and they let him go.

Greg reached up and touched Nick's arm. "I have something I need to tell you when we get back to my room."

Nick smiled. "Okay."

Langston watched them go before he turned to the two girls. "I should say that's a very good thing, but what's with the knowing looks?"

Catherine looked at Sara before back at Langston. "Well..."

-Greg-

As he eased his back against the bed, he took a deep breath as the nurse reattached him to his monitors. When they closed the door, he turned to look at Nick, who was picking at his bandaged forearm.

"Nick?"

"Mm?"

Greg rolled onto his side. "Look at me."

Nick didn't at first. He got up and moved the chair closer. When he was comfy again, he looked up. "Yes?"

Greg reached out and began to brush his fingers through the soft hair and it's dark color. His scabbed fingers looked like an abomination to those soft, almost heavenly locks. He finally traced the bones down to the jaw. He followed the contour to the edge of the chin and let his hand fall. "Nick..."

Nick's hand met Greg's falling one. He gently rubbed the back of the hand with both thumbs. "Yes?" he said, looking down.

Greg breathed deep once.

Nick raised his chin and his eyes met those beautiful brown eyes. "I'm here. Don't worry. I'm not gonna leave."

Greg smiled and he adjusted the pillow. "One of my two mysterious boxes have pictures in them. They're kind of like stalker pictures." He looked at Nick's hands and back up to his face. "I've got so many from people over the years. I never take a picture of the same person twice. Except..." He had to build his courage up. "I found you somewhat intriguing. I have one picture for every year we've been friends."

Nick didn't show any emotion, just stared at Greg, waiting for him to finish.

He gave a weak smile, knowing that the blank, solemn face was going to kill him. "I have pictures of you and Sara or you and Catherine. I've got pictures I took at your birthday parties and Christmas events and bad days and good days. I don't mean to follow you around, but I used to snap pictures of you when you'd wait for me by the doors or when I'd get into my car and you were walking away." He felt his heart begin to sink at that solemn face. "I wanted to hold you close. I wanted you to be my idol and savior. It's too much to get out of my head."

Nick just sighed and looked down at Greg's hand. "Is that all?"

"No." Greg gripped tightly to Nick's fingers. "I burned them all." He couldn't read Nick's face now that it was down-turned. "I shut the emotions out to keep working. I taped the only picture I kept of you to my window." He felt Nick's hands slacking and he let go, drawing his hand back. "I got rid of everything that would compromise me at work. Then you got that girlfriend you've still got. She loves you. I won't come between that."

Nick suddenly looked up. There was a fury in his eyes.

"I'm sorry." Greg tucked his hand against his chest, holding onto the hospital gown. "I didn't want-"

"She's my ex."

Greg's heart constricted tightly and he just nodded. "Well, I have a picture of her and you at your birthday party. Um, I kept it."

Nick was about to interrupt again when he heard a dreaded beep.

Greg's monitors were saying his blood pressure was going up. WAY up. But he kept going. "There's something else."


	18. Chapter 17: Broken Down and Solemn

Nick was getting to his feet, trying to stop Greg. "No. No, that's enough."

Greg shook his head and rolled onto his back, sitting up. "It's something I have to say!" He grabbed Nick's arm. "Please, you said your piece, I have to say mine!"

Nick pulled his arm away. "No. You're going to hurt yourself."

Greg didn't wait and it came out fast and hit Nick hard.

"There's a part of me that wishes you had died! That the box had crushed you! That Sara _had_ made you forget about me! That I had suffered _more_ and died that night! That you never cared more than you had to! That Catherine and you had abandoned me!"

Nick's hand trembled on the doorknob. His eyes were wide and his heart ached even more. He felt like he could cry, but instead, he started to open the door.

"I wish I hadn't survived. I wish you cared." Greg's voice was growing fainter. "I wish I could love you better. I wish you and I weren't..." He yelled the last part as the door was closing and he even threw his pillow. "DON'T COME BACK!"

Nick pressed his forehead against the door and felt the hurt hit him like he'd just jumped to his death.

A hand touched his shoulder and he gasped.

An older woman looked at him sadly. "Are you okay?"

She was a patient from next door.

Nick nodded and gave her a kind smile. "I'll be okay."

"You wouldn't be Nick, could you?"

He blinked. "How-?"

"When he used to bring little Melissa here, he would tell us stories about a man named Nick. Oh, how he would describe him. He made this Nick guy sound like everything and nothing at the same time. Such a brave man with such great weaknesses." She touched her cheek as she blushed. "He was so certain that man would rise to great heights." She waved her hand as if she were fanning Nick. "Oh, listen to me. Well, I was going to say good morning. Excuse me."

She knocked and Greg answered, in a flat tone.

"Mr. Greg?"

He smiled at her and Nick saw the lack of tears and pain in his face. Well, the lack of emotion. "Hey, Jane. Did you eat already?"

Jane, as he called her, picked up his pillow and walked to his bed. She propped it behind his head and sat on his bed. "No, they're bringing it now." She patted his knee. "I hope you know that you've gotta calm down. The nurses were worried. Did you take your blood thinners yet?"

Greg shook his head and was rubbing his casted arm. "I hope there's french toast this morning."

Nick had to walk away.

"What happened?"

He turned and gave Catherine a little "no" with his head before he pushed the button to go down. "I can't explain it."

Catherine stood beside him. "Nick, did something happen?"

Nick made a fist in his pocket before he turned to her. "I feel like a load of BS right now."

Catherine put a hand on her hip. "Explain."

"He talked about something dark." Nick shook his head. "It didn't sound like him. Did you know he stalked all of us? That he photographed us and put us on his wall? Along side strangers and murderers and gangsters? It just sickens me."

"But did he tell you about this one?" Catherine turned her phone to Nick.

He was sleeping at the break room table. He was wearing his favorite gray long sleeve. His face was relaxed and his lips were touching his class ring.

Nick's heart could've been in his boots. "No. He just said he kept one."

"This was a long time ago. But he had it taped to his window when we went over his things." Catherine sighed. "He kept you away from the rest of us. But one of the boxes we found had your picture and a case file that was never solved." She flipped to another photo. "This is it."

Nick took one look at it and knew what it was. "Greg's personal case."

"Right before he started, they couldn't find a reason to prosecute Ivan. He walked free and we have a feeling he tormented Greg. He may have been the reason Greg was so wild before." Catherine touched Nick's arm. "Tell me, are you sure nothing happened?"

Nick was about to answer when the doors opened. Langston looked up. "We've got work to do. Greg's going to have to wait."

Nick had to bite his tongue as he got into the elevator. As the doors closed, he saw Jane come out of Greg's room. She looked sad as she reached to close the door. He closed his eyes and breathed.

-Greg-

He was finishing his dinner when he noticed a nurse come in. She was accompanied by a lawyer and Greg put his fork down.

'_Shut the world out. Remember what happened._' He smiled at the man in the sharp, black suit. His crisp white shirt contrasted with his lime-green tie and silver cuff links. His briefcase was, shockingly, black. Greg slowly pushed the tray and table aside. "Can I help you?"

"I'm here as your lawyer for the case of the Las Vegas Crime Lab versus Ivan and Alexis. I'm here to represent you in court."

Greg nodded as Sara patted his arm. "Want me to wait outside?"

The lawyer shook his head. "No. We're going to need an eyewitness to Greg's testimony when we set up the wireless feed." He smiled at Sara. "You'll do. You _are_ a CSI, so, it works."

Greg felt Sara hold his hand. The fresh dressings felt odd when he moved his hand to hold her's. "Then I'm ready for the questions."

The lawyer set a recording device on the bed on Greg's knees. "Just leave it there. I'll move it if you need to get comfortable." He pressed the red circle. "This is lawyer Bartlow interviewing Criminal Investigator Greg Hojem-Sanders with Criminal Investigator Sara Sidle present."

Greg stared at the blinking red light. '_Time to let it fall._'


	19. Chapter 18: Never

Nick was tightening his tie when he heard his phone buzz. He picked it up and saw it was another text from Greg. He opened it to read it and then closed it again.

"Are you gonna answer him?" asked Sara. She was dressed up nicely for court, too.

He shook his head. "I'm still not certain he wants to talk to me."

Sara recalled what Greg had said.

'_I don't have the courage to show my face in the lab after this. I wish, so badly, that I could just say something to him. I'm not strong enough to show my face to anyone from there._'

She sighed and turned away. "Let's go, then, court awaits and we still have to pick up Greg."

Nick nodded in agreement.

Two weeks since he'd last spoken or seen Greg. He'd grown used to knowing that he would never be able to open his eyes to anything other than the creep his close friend had become. He had fallen for him, but now he was up in the air again, wondering if he'd been right to walk away over just that. Nick didn't know if Greg was even really the victim or if Alexis and Ivan were just protecting themselves. He didn't know if he had a right to want to push Greg away like this.

He picked up his phone and his nice jacket before he followed Sara outside. He had to let it go. Greg was a creep and he wasn't going to take that chance that Greg might be the victim, as he fully believed his gut was wrong.

Sara parked the car and turned the engine off before she reached over and pulled on Nick's ear. "You've been quiet this whole time! What do you want? You seem so off."

Nick shook his head and slowly opened the door. He put his boots on the concrete before he went to the stairs to get out of the parking structure. He couldn't face the music that his gut might be right. He had to follow the evidence and it was pointing to all parties.

Greg was at fault with his stalker pictures. Ivan was at fault for assaulting an officer and Nick. Alexis was at fault for trying to murder Greg.

Greg was safe because he was the target of Alexis who was safe because she had already pleaded slight insanity because of Ivan who was safe because the attack on Nick was more of self defense, so he claimed, when he just wanted to "talk" to Greg.

Nick put his long coat on as Sara came up beside him. "Let's just get in there and get it over with."

-Two hours later-

Nick was coming out for a recess period. He was checking his phone when he heard a commotion.

He peeked around the corner and stopped.

A young couple of boys were holding hands as they sat on a bench. They were laughing about a joke. The pale one leaned over and his lips touched the dark-skinned one on the cheek. He smiled and the dark-skin kissed him.

Nick turned so his back was against the wall. He took a deep breath and slowly looked down at his phone. He'd just gotten a message.

'_Turn to your left._'

He looked to his left and saw Greg leaning on his crutches. He waved his phone in that familiar motion and smiled.

Nick turned away and walked around the corner.

Greg sighed and began to move himself towards the doors. He had decided that he'd give everyone _one_ smile. No laughter or anything like that. It was a serious day and he still wore bandages over his right eye, which was still healing. His right arm was in an ace bandage now and his leg was still in a cast. But he could wear his suit just fine.

He used the bottom of a crutch to press the handicap button to open the door. He hobbled into the courthouse and made his way to the courtroom. He had to grit his teeth against the pain of knowing he'd see them all and only able to smile for them once during this short time away from the hospital.

Greg's nurse would be coming later than him. She would keep an eye on him to make sure he was okay. She was the only one who'd visited Greg in the last two weeks. Sara was barred from seeing him to keep his statement pristine for court.

He found a soft seat and settled down to wait. Greg's crutches could be propped against the side and he leaned back. He let his chin touch his chest and he closed his eyes, remembering everything.

But he'd never get his chance to apologize to Nick.

Never.


	20. Chapter 19: The Pictures

Greg was still outside when Nick heard him called forward for the court to hear his testimony.

Nick closed his eyes and held his breath. He'd only seen Greg from a distance. He was about to pass right in front of Nick and the other CSI.

He balled his ring hand into a fist as the door was eased open. He felt Sara put her hand on his and it slacked as he turned to her. She shook her head. "You're hopeless."

He just smiled and looked to the door.

The rhythmic "thump thump thump" was as if someone was walking with crutches. It was steady and unchanged as the crutches came in first and then Greg swung in behind them. He was wearing the tie Nick loved to see him wear. It's magnificent blue was such a rich tone against the white shirt and black suit. His shoe was shinned and he wore his pride on his sleeve as he moved passed them.

His nurse was following nearby to make sure he got to the stand. Once he was close enough, she exited through the same door they'd come in.

Nick had to bite his lip as he watched Greg struggle to stand for the oath. When Greg agreed, he kind of fell into the chair. He set the crutches near him and folded his hands neatly on his lap to wait for the first questions.

"Mr. Sanders, can you tell me what your connection to the convicted subjects is?"

He shook his head. "We were neighbors for a bit. I kind of had a relationship thing going on and off with Ivan. About the time we started having problems I was starting my new job at the Crime Lab." He looked down at his hands when he sad the next bit. "None of my friends saw the bruises he left. I guess I can hide it pretty well. Even from my parents. But I finally broke it off. You know, reaching your breaking point and all." He took a deep breath. "His mom I thought was his daughter. She and I would sit at the bus stop before she'd head off to work. We'd talk about all kinds of things. I guess I just kind of forgot to look into her."

"So, you were thinking of stalking her?"

"In a sense. But I never followed through." Greg readjusted himself in his chair. He was avoiding looking at the team. It was clear that he wasn't set to see them again and Nick had to crush his hopes he'd see Greg smile again.

The lawyer stood up. "Can you tell me what these are?" She laid photos along the counter and Greg looked down at his hands.

"Pictures."

"Can you be specific?"

"Pictures of people."

"Of who? Try to be precise."

Greg took a deep breath and looked up. A fire spit out his soul and he smiled. "Pictures of people who are people. They do interesting things and sometimes a snapshot takes a better memory than the human eye. Isn't that why we take photos of happy times? Why can't I? I asked most of them first."

"Most of them?" she repeated.

"How do you ask sleeping people to take pictures of sleeping people? Besides, I work with them. I doubt that's stalking."

"But these photos were taken of Ivan and Alexis, correct?"

"Objection!" the CSI lawyer yelled, standing up. "What's wrong with a hobby? He's just doing something to pass the time."

"Noted. Anything else?"

She smiled at Greg. "Is it true that you stalked one of your co-workers?"

Greg shrugged. "I didn't exactly stalk him. Hodges tends to leave a trail. It's not hard to follow when people are looking for him or reasons why he vanishes. All I found out was he snacks in the bathroom."

Nick had to bit his lip to force down the smile. So like Greg to make it obvious and really redundant when questioned.

She collected the photos and tapped them back into order. "Tell me, Mr. Sanders, is it true you have feelings for a CSI?"

Greg shrugged. "Like what?"

She smiled eerily. "Let me rephrase." She took a step towards the jury. "You have a crush on a CSI?"

Nick felt the intake and felt Sara grip his wrist pretty hard.

"Like..." Greg suddenly did his old thing. He closed his eye and tapped his finger on his knee before he opened his eyes. "Oh! You mean like I want to kiss them!"

A chuckle escaped the court room.

"If that's the case, yes. Two of them. No, wait, three of them. All of whom have shot me down."

"Would that not compromise you at work?"

Greg suddenly looked right at the side of her head. "Don't you ever worry about your family while you're at work? Doesn't that count as being distracted? What if you got a call your grandmother was suddenly in a coma? Me, I never got distracted. After the job was done, I'd stare or ponder by myself. I don't act on them. There's a difference." He suddenly lifted his crutch and poked her arm. "Can I see the pictures again?"

"Certainly."

She laid them in front of Greg and he held up one. It was of Sara and Grissom. "Who doesn't know about them? I got this from the Christmas party in 2,004." He tossed it to the floor and picked up another. "This is my old neighbor. She passed away in the hospital this morning. Her name was Jane and she had the epiphany of cat love. Her house was filled with cat memorabilia. She doesn't know who she is, but she's got Cat Woman things, too." He let it fall and picked up the one of Ivan. "I took this when Ivan was playing a video game at his house. He was winning and I snapped the shot when he hit with the final blow. He was playing Mortal Combat. He knocked my elbow up pretty good for that." He let it fall and picked up another one. "This was taken at Alexis' birthday party at the Monte Carlo last year. The same year I took the photos of Jane and Ivan. They're in the background, about to drench us and nearly hit my phone. She wore a blue dress." He let it fall and picked up the last one and didn't even look at it. He showed it to the courtroom at large. "This photo is the only photo I regret taking."

Warwick was smiling back at everyone holding a silver present.

"I took this when he was about to hand his best friend Nick his Christmas present. I asked to take his picture because Grissom needed an excuse to stall Warwick just a moment longer. We were trying to stall so Nick would be surprised when the Secret Santa went off with the gift exchange."

Greg let that fall to the floor before he sat back. "That was taken just months before his untimely death." He clasped his hands and settled into his chair. "Any other questions about my hobby? I have a bad memory and photos help me remember faces and names, you know." Greg's dark eyes fluttered with a blink as he smiled crudely at her.

Nick looked at the pile of photos. By a miracle, Warwick's photo had landed upwards. He was smiling at the ceiling in that frozen moment for an eternity. Nick had to bite his knuckle, remembering who he'd told about his wrong crush.


	21. Chapter 20: Words Like Knives

Greg was smiling at her when she stood up with the photos again. She went back to the table and set the photos down and picked up a tape recorder. "Mr. Sanders, I have something that was drawn from your computer. I need you to tell the courtroom what you hear."

Greg's smile was frozen and he chuckled. "Sure. If you think you can beat me with words."

She didn't respond, just flipped the play button.

"Greg! Greg, come back here!"

Heavy breathing.

"I said get your-!"

"No!"

"Did you just say 'no' to me? You need to answer for what you did, you prick!"

"I didn't do anything!" Heavy breathing.

She hit the pause.

Greg laughed and then cleared his throat. "I was being chased by Ivan. He was mad because I'd accidentally bumped him."

"I'm asking you to tell me what you just heard."

Greg leaned forward to the mic. "I heard what you heard. You heard Ivan being mad. But that's selective hearing. Play the whole tape for the courtroom, lawyer. I'm sure you don't want to because it compromises your case." He leaned back, his glare dark. "That recording was taken by my phone. There's no video to it. I bumped it when I'd jumped over his fence to get away."

"And why were you running?"

"Like I said, Miss Selective-Hearing, I was running away because I'd bumped Ivan and he didn't like that I'd bumped him."

"Into what, exactly?"

Greg was about to answer when he coughed. He quickly got out his handkerchief.

"Should I call in your nurse?" the judge asked.

Nick was gripping his armrest.

Greg shook his head. "It's just mucus. I'll be okay." He looked up at her. "I was trying to get out of the kitchen and had bumped him closer to the fridge. He didn't hit anything, but I still apologized." He pointed to his left shoulder. "There's a medical statement that coincides with his then knocking me with a toaster."

She shook her head. "No further questions at this time, sir."

Greg's eyes suddenly darted to the CSIs and then back to his clasped hands.

Greg could feel his heart closing off with every tick of the clock. The blood on the handkerchief was the first sign. His nurse had told him not to strain to raise his blood pressure. But the truth was forcing it's way to the surface.

If he died here, that was all he wanted. Just die and get it over with. Make it last just long enough to make his goodbyes stick.

"Mr. Sanders, you claimed that you can't remember people without pictures, correct?"

"Yes." He looked up.

"And is it also true that it took you more than five months to remember who was who in your lab?"

"Again, yes."

He approached Greg. He placed a piece of paper in front of Greg. "Is it true that this was left on your door this morning?"

Greg looked down at his hands. "Yes."

The lawyer turned to the courtroom and held up the paper. "Mr. Sanders is being evicted from his residence. The reason is, as quotes, 'because you have failed to meet the requirements for a clean home as well as being neighborly towards your fellow peers in your vicinity.' He's being evicted because of complaints filed against him because of the fear his neighbors posses from Mr. and Miss Greene. He's not a bad guy, are you?"

Greg shrugged. "I never thought I was."

"Now, Mr. Sanders, you said you've been shot down for your passes at your co-workers. Care to share?"

Greg looked into the extreme hazel eyes and nodded. "Yes. I don't care anymore." He looked at them, never moving his head. "I first liked Mandy. She's a forensic fingerprint expert and a lab rat like myself. The second was Sara. She's a field expert in forensics. The last was Nick. He's also a field forensic scientist."

"And how did they reject you?"

"Well, Nick did it to my face. Brave of him." Greg wasn't looking at them anymore. His eyes were on the jury. "Mandy was the coldest and sent me a text. Sara was more gentle and let me down easy." He looked down at his hands. "I've never had a romantic relationship with any co-worker that would put my work life in jeopardy like that."

"So, isn't it true that you've had your fill of crushes at work?"

"Well, not fully. It's okay to look but not touch." Greg slowly lifted something out of his pocket. It was a locker key. "I never used my locker until I became a CSI for the field. Up until then, I had just looked at the girls. I realized there was more promise for me to find a guy. This key was the thing that made me look but never touch. It's something I've grown used to and always use."

"Meaning?"

Greg set the key on the counter between him and the courtroom. "Meaning I've learned not to get too attached to any one person at work. They'll just stab you in the back if you're not careful."

Nick felt the knife and he pulled away from Sara's grasp to touch his chest where his heart throbbed with a bleeding hole. Greg had aimed that right at him and had pummeled a huge hole right through him.


	22. Chapter 21: Rise to the Occasion?

When Nick leaned forward, his warm hands dripped hot water off the sides of the sink and down the drain to join the rest of it's companions.

Nick watched a single drop slide down real slow, like his thumb had shed a tear. He closed his eyes and put one foot behind him and his head lowered closer to the sink. He was sad that he had no chance now.

Langston opened the door and stopped to lean on the wall nearby. "So, do we let him fall to his knees? Or give him wings to fly?"

Nick shook his head. A sob escaped him.

Langston was suddenly worried. He stepped forward. "Nick?"

He shook his head again and slapped away Langston's hand on his shoulder. The motion turned him and the waterworks were going. He hit the bathroom stall's outside wall and slid to the floor. He let his hands fall at his sides. Looking up he seemed to ask before words escaped. "What do you want me to say?"

Langston pulled a towel out of the dispenser and knelt in front of Nick. He offered the brown material to Nick. "All we can do is offer our help. Lowly humans do things to make themselves bigger. Once upon a time, we were awesome creatures that were fair and just. We've since-"

"-Risen from the ashes to beasts." Nick looked at the paper towel. "We can let those who are just and fair to fall to their knees. Or we can give them strong wings to lift them from the darkness and set them free to fly." He closed his eyes and took a deep breath as the first tear fell. "Greg used to write that in an e-mail for me."

Langston smiled. "He sent me an e-mail this morning." He pulled out a paper from his pocket. "Here. I think you should read it while we wait for Greg's diagnostics to finish." He got to his feet and dusted off his knee. "Nick, get up. We've got to decide. Sara wants to give Greg wings. I haven't talked to Catherine. But the Lab Rats are here. They're ready to testify in Greg's favor after their done torturing him."

Nick nodded and took a deep breath. He started when Langston offered him a hand up. "Thanks." He let Langston pull him up just enough. He looked at the hot water running down the drain. He leaned over the sink and splashed some on his face before turning off the faucet and using several towels to wipe down his face before he turned to Langston. "Let's go sit outside. It's nice out."

-Greg-

His eyes darted open and he heard that familiar voice.

His nurse touched his arm. "It's okay. He's chained down."

Greg still grabbed her hand. "I wish they'd blindfold me so I couldn't see him." His head slowly dropped and he breathed as Alexis and Ivan were walked passed him to prepare themselves for the reentry into the courtroom. When he heard them close the door he exhaled loudly and leaned back. He stared at the fluorescent lights behind their fancy acrylic plates. He looked down at his hands.

A heart monitor had been attached to his chest and his finger held a pulse monitor. The arm band for the blood pressure was slowly easing up. The oxygen tube was starting to make his nose feel funky. The hiss of the machine pumping a small bit of pain killers into his system was unnerving, but not quite as much as the pace of his monitors.

She released the arm band and began to manually compare pulses. "You shouldn't let them provoke you so much."

He chuckled. "I kind of got worked up. They went through my personal things. I can't just lie down and take that, even if I _do_ work with them."

"Oh?"

Greg blinked and his head snapped towards the entrance. "Hoges! Mandy! Mia!"

They all waved.

Greg's eyes turned to the one who'd spoken. "Henry!"

Henry leaned forward to see what the monitors were saying. "We came for our turn on the trial box." He stood back up. "Since it involves a CSI, we have to come and put our own two-cents in." He grinned from ear to ear, as it was.

Greg's face softened and he gave off his usual, lop-sided, goofy smile. "Good to see my old lab buddies still got it." He shook their hands as they passed by. When they were gone, his face became emotionless again. "Do you think I should tell someone?"

She shook her head and began to remove the pulse monitor. "Greg, that's not a good idea. You're in the gray. There's no way of telling if you're dying or living. I just hope I'm right in saying you're getting better."

Greg was still staring at the door when his phone went off. His nurse had kept it so it wouldn't go off while he was in the box of terror. "Is it him?"

She nodded and handed him the phone.

Greg opened the text message and then closed the phone. "Thank you." He inhaled the pure oxygen going into his lungs before he handed her the phone again. "Am I fit for another round of torture? Or should I call it quits?"

"They want you to stay until the end of the trial today." She sat beside him and touched his wrist, ever so gently. "I want you to know that I believe you're a lot stronger than you put on. I've seen you suffer for two weeks and still pull through with shinning colors."

He sighed and smiled at her. "Thanks, Elizabeth."

She gave him a hug. "Now, we need to wait for your pulse to come back up. It's just a bit under your norm."

Greg nodded and closed his eyes to keep himself calm.

His mind started racing through pictures. Images flashing and things blasting through him. Sounds swirled through his head. Voices whispered and spoke and screamed and sang to him. Gentle hands gave him hugs and high-fives and playful smacks on his head. Harsh nails dug into his skin and pulled at his hair and ripped away warm blankets. Breath sent chills down his spine.

But it was one voice that rang clear in his ears as his thoughts grew dark.

"My little boy, you've got to be careful! You don't know what's out there!" she would say. Her gentle lips would kiss his forehead. Her gentle hands would press the bandaids on. Then she would say; "Don't ever let the bullies win. You're smart. Use your wits to get them. My little baby is so strong. My Greg is smart. But please be careful."

Greg whispered her next wisdom he'd passed to Nick through all the trials and trying times. But the piece that helped both him and Nick overcome Warwick and his passing.

"If this is all the time we've got, be strong. Rise to the occasion." He opened his eyes. "Outshine the bad guys and make sure you're the smartest before they are."

Elizabeth laughed. "You sound like a fortune cookie." The judge called her attention and she spoke to him before turning back to Greg. "Time to take your own advice and 'rise to the occasion', Mr. Greg Sanders." She patted his arm and helped him to his feet.


	23. Chapter 22: The Old Fashioned Greg

(**A/N**: nom... sorry, yesterday i was playing League of Legends... and then i was working on a picture! D= i haven't forgotten you guys... i just forgot about me)

* * *

Greg was just settling down when the opposition got to her feet once more. He closed his eyes and bowed his head, his fingers strumming away against each other. Greg was going to have to make up for the attitude earlier.

"Mr. Sanders, I've got a good question for you."

He slowly raised his head before he opened those dark eyes of his. "Yes?"

"Since the beginning of the recess, I couldn't help but notice you've been badly injured. Are you, possible, not of a sound mind to be on the stage, per se?"

Greg smiled at her. "That depends. By 'badly injured', are you claiming you're worried about me?"

She gasped and then adjusted herself. "I'm simply saying, are you certain you can continue?"

Greg leaned forward and narrowed his eyes at her. "Are you questioning my sanity?"

"Yes, I am."

Greg's eyes had caught a lot of details about her and he leaned back. "If that's the question, can I explain, your grace?" he asked the judge.

The judge nodded.

He looked back at her and smiled. "In the CSI labs, we learn to examine everything. From fibers to cells to blood patterns." He chuckled before his eyes met her's with a steel stare made of the guts of hard work and knowing he was right. "You've got a stray gray hair you missed from your coloring this morning. Your left ear is pierced higher because the first hole seems to have missed the proper placing for a normal earring. You've got two dogs and one cat. Two Yorkies and a Tabby, if I'm not mistaken. You're wearing two inch heels with a silver buckle. Your stockings are annoying your knees from having to cross your legs. Also, one more thing, you've got a stray thread from your highly maintained suit on your right shoulder that you keep tucking away since a tailor hasn't seen you recently."

She gasped and stepped back. "You can't see my shoes from there!"

"I don't need to." Greg smiled. "You're taller than your torso suggests from your sitting pose. I take you as a matching person and you've got silver earrings and a silver wedding band, so, process of elimination suggests that you've got a thing for silver. Your lack of a silver belt tells me that your shoes have the sharp edges to complete the look." He smiled brightly at her. "Any other questions?"

She took a moment before she came to the stand to question him a little harsher. "Mr. Sanders, as of yesterday, you've been able to communicate with your fellow lab rats. Tell me, have you heard a response from them?"

Greg slowly looked at the judge. "Do I have to answer that one?"

She smiled at Greg. "This is in response to your locker key comment."

"Oh." Greg just smiled sadly. "They iced me out. Nobody from the Crime Lab's spoken to me in weeks. I don't know how much they actually care for me. No flowers or balloons or cards. From any of them."

She nodded. "Doesn't that stand to reason that that would send you into a state of unable to be all there?"

Greg shook his head. "I've been through a much worse icing than that. It's not like my life with them is being put on display for them." He smiled at her. "If my morals are in question, that's for when I die. As for how my sanity works, I do think that's entirely up to me to decide if I'm not capable of being here." Greg raised his hand and touched the bandaged eye as he breathed deep. "True, I'm not physically fit to be here, but there's an obligation I have that I need to fulfill before I can finally have a good night's sleep."

"And that would be?"

"Objection! Not relevant to the case, as Mr. Sanders has mentioned."

"Withdrawn." She turned back to Greg. "Then tell me about the evidence collected regarding your picture fetish?"

Greg's shoulders rose just a fraction before he smiled at her. "It's not really a fetish. If you want to know what get's me going, it's actually the sparkle of someone's eyes. The only thing similar is glitter. But again, why is my personal life being brought out? Fetish means something that causes an unnatural reaction from a person."

She shook her head. "Let me rephrase, tell the courtroom about your collection of photographs you have in your study at your suburban house. Tell us, why do you have them? And what did you use them for?"

Greg reached into his blazer's inner pocket. "Did you know that a photograph is actually us capturing light? It flashes it onto a piece of paper or into a digital file and then replays that moment of light for you?" He pulled out his phone and began to flip to a file. "My mind can't capture one specific face and match it to a specific voice to which normal people can attach a specific name." He handed her his phone. "This is what the photos do on a much larger scale for me."

She gasped.

Greg just sat back and let her take it to the jury. "It's not something normal people would see. But a digital photograph is made up of several small pixels. I created the photos on the wall, not in the order they were taken, but that image it makes. It reminds me that I'm just as human as anyone else. I could've easily gone down a darker path, but this was the one I've chosen."

When she came to the side of the court the CSI were on, she held it up.

It was mostly bright pictures, but darker pictures in the middle of the white spelled out CSI. It was bordered around the edges of the wall with photos of Greg's equipment, going down and across and up and across, from his first days up until the present time.

"They think the pictures have an order, but I put them in the way that I see them. They're the people that I've met and know have good lives or good in them. I'm not stalking anyone, heck, I'm not even sure that's considered stalking." He took his phone after a few seconds. "If you're wondering, each picture holds a moment in time I wish I could forget or not remember. Only the dark ones are memories I want to hold."

She sighed. "You're quite heart-felt, aren't you?"

He shrugged and pocketed his phone. "I'm a sucker for good stories." He smiled in his old-fashioned Greg style. The grin showed his teeth in a crooked line and the dimples on his face crinkled just so. His eyes were kind and he was really a good person shinning through the changes in his life.

Nick's heart suddenly took an explosive shot into his throat. That smile made him feel so much more than he should've for Greg...


	24. Chapter 23: Never Fair, Is It?

Greg was coming back down when Nick noticed the sad look in his eyes. He hopped passed them and out the doors. The nurse had her coat on and was holding Greg's. It was time for Greg to return to the hospital for a proper rest.

Nick excused himself and quietly sped after him.

"Greg!"

He stopped and Elizabeth turned. She still had her left hand, it's shinny engagement ring dotting the air, and smiled at Nick. "I'm sorry if you take this the wrong way, but he must return to the hospital."

Nick was starting to walk towards them. He reached into his pocket as his pace began to speed up. He came around Greg and took his right hand. "It doesn't matter. It's jut a moment, miss." He slipped a promise ring that fit Greg's finger like a glove. "I just want to make a promise with him."

She nodded and backed away to check her phone.

Greg looked at the pewter silver. "What's this for?"

Nick took a deep breath. "I wanted, so badly, to give it to you, Greggo." He ruffled Greg's hair. "It's a promise ring from me to you. I'm binding myself to a promise to always keep you lighter. I want to make up for my short-comings somehow."

Greg was taking it off. "No, I won't."

Nick shook his head and closed Greg's hand over it. He lifted the fist to his lips and a gentle kiss across the knuckles before he held it close to Greg's heart. "It's my solitude promise to be your best friend before anything else." Greg was confused, so, Nick tried it another way. "I want to be by your side, always. You're the greatest friend and, maybe, being able to love you someday." He leaned forward and his lips touched Greg's cheek before he stepped back and around. "I have to go back inside, but I'll certainly come to visit when this is over today, Greg. Bank on that."

He waved before he ran back through the door.

Greg touched the ring and smiled to himself. "Maybe I'll be forgiven, finally."

Elizabeth came over and acted like she couldn't see the ring on his right hand. She just opened the door and smiled as he passed by. "They're coming to collect you to take you home for a change of cloths. I'm sure Nick will have a fit if you're not ready to leave by then."

Greg nodded and hopped out the door.

-two hours later-

Nick was taking a nap in the car while Sara drove to the hospital. She had every right to wake him, but he had every right to be asleep.

She was pulling into the parking stall when she heard his phone go off. It startled Nick and he quickly checked his phone. He looked confused and quickly answered. "Hello? Yes, this is he." Nick's eyes suddenly widened and he looked at Sara. "Are you sure? We just got here. Are you absolutely sure?" There was a long pause before he pitched forward and pressed his fingers into his forehead. "Okay, thanks." He let the phone drop and covered that ear. "Sara."

She tipped her head. "What?"

"C-can you call Ca-Catherine or, um, Langston?"

"Why?"

Nick began to cry.

Sara touched his shoulder. "Nikki?"

"Greg's transport vehicle crashed. He was flown to this hospital. His nurse died on the flight over." Nick covered his face and curled in on himself. "It's not fair."

Sara couldn't believe it. But she took out her phone and was dialing Catherine's number, knowing she was in the CSI SUV with the lab rats and Langston. "Catherine?"

"Yeah? What's up?"

Sara had to swallow the knot real hard. "Um, well..."

Nick slowly took the phone out of her trembling hands. "Calm down. P-please."

Sara nodded and touched the speaker button. "Catherine..."

"What's wrong?"

"Greg's... in a coma..." Nick said, before he swung the door open and slammed it behind him to go and lean over the rail in front of the car. His heart-broken scream echoed and Sara felt it in the car.

Nick was in more pain than anyone else now.


	25. Chapter 24: Beyond Hope

Nick was left alone, at last, with Greg in the ICU's room.

He stood there for a long moment before he finally pulled the chair up to Greg's right side. Nick settled down and put his hand in Greg's before he slowly started to rub that promise ring as he wished he could see Greg's face.

There were tubes and wires and white gauze everywhere.

The only way you could tell it was Greg was by the ID band on his right wrist.

Nick could tell by the bones in Greg's hands. The way they curved and moved and where the joints were. He had been here before. At Greg's bedside when he'd been nearly beaten senseless. It was then that Nick had memorized Greg's hands in his sleep. Nick had felt the way they'd moved and had felt the way his muscles flexed around his wrist and the tension of his forearm muscles.

Now, it was the only way Nick knew that Greg had suffered more than he should have.

The machines pumped oxygen into his lungs and he had a tube up his nose and another in his throat. There was an IV and a blood transfusion going through a machine that pumped some medication through him. He looked like he might be brain dead, but his monitors were saying he had brain activity.

Nick was hopeful that Greg could hear him. "I'm sorry. God almighty, I'd die if I could give you a chance." He leaned forward and his head rested on the palm of Greg's hand. Nick began to trace the lines up Greg's arm to the crook of his elbow before he traced it to the outside and back down. "Greg, I'm not sure if you can hear me, but I'm sorry, 'kay? I want to be able to be here if you wake up. I'm not sure if you can hear me. But I'm right here."

He closed his eyes and a tear fell to the skin just below him. Nick had to move back and wipe away that tear before he saw Greg's skin absorb the tear into the center of his palm. Nick sat back and tried to think of something else.

-Sara-

"How long will he last?"

"Only a few more months. He has something you guys should see."

The doctor pulled up the bag of Greg's belongings.

"You see, Mr. Sanders actually recorded the crash by mistake." He put on a latex glove and handed it over. "I know how you guys feel about fingerprints. It's a bit smashed, but the phone was displaying the recording device when he arrived."

Sara nodded. "Um, do you think that he's not going to survive because of prior injuries?"

"Yes." The doctor looked at Nick, sitting beside Greg's bed. "His spine was severely jolted from his last good beating prior to the one you were investigating. That last one did major damage to his neck and shoulders. The crash took him pretty far from recovery." The doctor suddenly turned to them. "I'm sorry, allow me to step away."

Langston shook his head. "We handle it together. We can take it."

The doctor paused and then looked at Nick. "Shouldn't you summon him?"

Catherine shook her head. "No, he's already known about all the injuries prior."

The doctor sighed and turned to the counter. "Will you excuse us?"

The nurse was about to say something when a monitor went off. "Well, I suppose I will." She smiled and walked down the hall.

He turned back to the CSIs. "Greg took a nasty blow to his chest. It concaved his entire left side. All his ribs are either broken or shattered. His neck was sprained and his back was broken from just below the ribs. It's almost as if he was trying to protect someone. Which would make sense why the driver is just being patched up in the ER." He held up Greg's belongings again. "When he arrived, he was saturating the gurney due to a piece of glass protruding from his right upper arm. He's beyond the point of hopeful. If he survives, it'll be by the good graces of God."

Sara had to look away and at Nick. "How long before you know?"

"Two weeks, max." The doctor slowly lowered the bag. "I know you guys are going through a change in faculty. Perhaps the new guy should see the state of Mr. Sanders and determine if he's worth saving. Mr. Sanders has an out-dated DNR, so, one of you will have to decide that for him."

Catherine nodded and thanked him. They were grouping around the door when they noticed Nick standing beside the open door. His shoulders were touching the wall and his hands hung limp at his sides. "It seems bleak, but maybe Russel will be able to help us, Nikki."

He shook his head. "It doesn't matter to me. I'm still going to visit him."

"I know, but Russel can decide if Greg's worth our resources. For now, we've got a lead on what might have happened."

Nick nodded. "Can I stay?"

"No, you sit and _then_ stay," came an unfamiliar voice to them.

Nick peeked around the door. "Who-?"

"Russel, you got here fast."

He shrugged. "Came to see why everyone was on pins and needles back home. Let me see him."


	26. Chapter 25: Do Not Revive

(**A/N:** so, erm, i'm sorry guys... in advance... JUST REMEMBER! it's only made up... i would never wish this on anyone but myself...)

Russel was sending a text message as he stood on the other side of the bed. Slowly, the door seemed to open and he looked up.

Nick entered with two bags of food. "They're not here yet?"

Russel just shrugged. "I'm just about to text Catherine to see where they are."

Nick nodded and set the bags on the empty chair before sitting at the foot of Greg's bed. He sighed and was watching the monitors.

Today was the day.

Nick had run to the store and bought nearly ten boxes of Kleenex. It was going to be a long night.

"They're coming down the hall right now." Russel snapped his phone shut. "You sure you want to let him die?"

Nick felt the twisting knife at that comment. "I've let him linger and suffer long enough. Trust me, I'd want him to stay just as long as I could. I'd let him live out the rest of his life with someone who might actually make him feel worth something." Nick touched the promise ring on Greg's hand. He touched it with his own ring and looked at Greg's finally clear face.

The contours of his face were so smooth and so gentle. It was as if they were trying to make him seem presentable as he died, slowly and painfully.

The doctors had all said that Greg's spine was shattered. Every breath caused pain because the ribs would push against the muscle with every breath. They also said that, somewhere, there was a blockage for blood flow from the brain back to the body. It was causing pain for him to move, but he would, instinctively twitch if Nick touched his hands with cold hands. But it was time to let Greg finally breath easy.

But Nick was falling apart.

Catherine knocked. "Hey, we're all here."

Nick nodded. His hand lingered on Greg's before he got up and went to the nurses station to sign the form for a "Do Not Resuscitate" for the nurses to pull the plug. He waited for the forms and slowly read it over and then signed away Greg's life line.

He went into the room and sat on the bed, close to Greg. Nick scooped up Greg's hand and turned it so he could feel that skin against his cheek. He was sad that he was losing the only person he'd ever been able to hold onto.

But Greg had suffered enough. It was time for him to go on to another thing. He would have to find his new place in some other world. Or whatever it was that Greg believed in.

Nick closed his eyes as they approached, one a at a time to say their goodbyes. The girls gave him kisses and the boys patted his shoulder with a gentle touch. They were too weak to bear it and went to collect in the hallway.

The last was Langston and Russel. They both agreed to leave Nick alone as they unplugged Greg.

Nick began to cry even worse when he heard them turn off the oxygen. He slowly leaned down and actually spread himself along Greg's side on the bed. He ran his fingers through Greg's hair. He traced the jaw line and slowly pressed his hand to Greg's heart, gently. He could still feel Greg's strong heart thundering away as his brain activity continued to flow steadily.

"Greg, I'm sorry. You should never have suffered because of them." He noticed one of the nurses removed the tubes, leaving Greg to fend for himself for the last moments. Nick waited a second before he leaned over and gave Greg a gentle kiss on those lips.

Either it was a reaction or something drove him to, but Greg's lips closed in on the kiss before a tear fell from his left eye.

Nick put his right arm across Greg's torso and used the other to prop his head up a bit and let his fingers brush Greg's left cheek from over his head. "I love you. I'm gonna miss you, just now that, okay? I absolutely love you. I don't care about the stalking pictures. I don't care about the flaws. I've got just as many." He pressed his lips to Greg's cheek before he let his head rest on Greg's pillow. "I love you," he whispered.

The monitors showed Greg's slow descent to death.

Nick didn't move, nor did he say anything else. He just repeated how much he loved Greg.

Finally, Greg flat-lined, after nearly ten minutes.

Ten minutes of Nick telling him he loved him. Ten minutes of Greg's tears. Ten minutes of soft beeping in the background. Ten minutes Greg had to finally feel loved by someone who loved him just as much. Ten minutes he'd never had before with Nick.

Ten minutes.

Nick slowly got up as the nurse came in to turn of the monitors. He was sore and tired and hardly able to breathe. He looked down at Greg's peaceful face. Nick kind of felt happy that it was like this that Greg could go.

He slid his feet towards the ground and turned his back on Greg.

'_I'm so fucking sorry._'

He got to his feet and shakily joined the others outside. He got a group hug and the tears came once more.

Everything was gone. They stood alone to support whatever Greg did to pass on.

But Nick wished he could hear Greg say he loved Nick so much.


	27. Epilogue: Forever Love You

The song I lyriced into here is "Banner" by Lights. I LOVE HER VOICE! and this kinda matched the lighter... ish mood I was looking for.

* * *

Nick was closing his locker at work when he got a message.

He looked at his phone and started walking towards Archie's office.

When he came in, he was shocked to find them all there, even Russel. One of the screens had Langston on a Skype.

Archie nodded. "Sup?" He turned to his massive monitor on the wall. "So, here it is. Greg's little piece of heaven."

There was a click and Greg was sitting on his bed with the camera pointed at him. He was wearing a tee with no design and darkly shaded. His jeans were faded and had a hole on the heel of the right leg. He was wearing socks and his hair was a bit messed up.

He waved. "Hey, guys. It's Greg. As you can see." He gestured down his shirt to his jeans. "Not really in a good mood just now. I got into it with Hodges. Yes, you." He pointed at the camera. "I had Archie hold onto this after the beat-up I got served a while back. I want you guys to know, mostly you, Nick, that I don't mean to not express how much our connections mean to me."

He looked down and started picking at his jeans. "Of course, you guys probably know by now that I have a huge crush on Nick." He sighed and shrugged, leaning back. "Doesn't matter what you say or how you do things, I wish I could hear you say the same." He smiled his goofy smile. "So, in case you guys don't know, I'll tell you."

Leaning forward, he cupped his right hand to his mouth. Loudly, he proclaimed; "Nick, I love, love, forever love you! Sara, god I wish you hated me, but I admire you! Hodges, don't be mean to Henry and know that I idolize your organization! Henry, don't be afraid to fight back and I'll be rooting you on! Catherine, don't be so glum and remember that you're stronger than they are, with a woman's wrath to back it up! Mia and Mandy, don't be so stingy with teasing, but don't forget to laugh yourselves! Lagston, crack a joke, but don't be so cold when you do! Archie, hack it bro, hack it, just don't get caught! New guy!" He smirked. "Don't let them get to you. Shoot 'em down if _you_ know what you're doin'!"

As he leaned back, music began to play.

~Maybe it's bricks and mortar now \ Whether or not they run it down \ I don't want anything to shake that shape away \ No one told us which way to come \ Nobody mapped oblivion \ So I go growing roses in the disarray~

It cut to Hodges making faces at the camera while Henry was throwing paper balls at him. Cut to Catherine taking a look at herself in a mirror in the locker room while Nick was laughing about a joke.

~Just like most, falling head in \ 'Til my ghost fills the bed in~

Nick was sitting with his feet on the table and leaned back in his chair grinning at Greg's camera.

~So lift it up like a banner \ Hold it up over me \ If this war is never ending \ I'll take this love down with me \ Like a banner \ Like a banner~

Greg dropped the camera, but Langston picked it up to film Greg. He was laughing and trying to get the camera back. Cut to Archie, who was strumming away like he was playing the drums to some music on his iPod.

~I don't need fate to give it time \ It doesn't take pain to change your mind \ No weapon can sever the soul from me \ Not the sorceress, not the money \ All my cleverness, all my cunning~

Nick was talking to Sara about something serious when confetti suddenly exploded all over them, showering them with gold for the new year. Sara suddenly pointed at Greg's camera and he was running away from them chasing him. Cut to Brass, trying to make a phone call and failing because he kept laughing about something Langston had mentioned.

~So lift it up like a banner \ Hold it up over me \ If this war is never ending \ I'll take this love down with me \ Like a banner \ Like a banner~

Ecklie was yelling with Morgan about something. Cut to Morgan painting a circle on the side of Nick's face as he sat, knocked out from exhaustion, in the break room. She was laughing so hard and trying to keep quiet as she did it. She snickered and Nick moved and she jumped, screaming and scaring Greg back a bit.

~It's around me in my surroundings \ It counts me when it starts the counting \ In the chaos there is a standard \ I'm carrying it like a banner \ It's around me in my surroundings \ It counts me when it starts the counting \ In the chaos there is a standard \ I'm carrying it...~

Greg was sitting with his arms crossed as he got filmed by Langston. He wasn't happy, but, he was just taking it like he should, with ease and his own goofy way. Cut to Langston getting drenched with buckets of water from Nick and Sara, holding one, and Henry and Morgan, holding the other. Greg was laughing so hard as Langston turned on them and began chasing them, leaving his files sitting around.

~So lift it up like a banner \ Hold it up over me \ If this war is never ending \ I'll take this love down with me (like a banner) \ Like a banner \ Hold it up over me (like a banner) \ If this war is never ending (like a banner) \ I'll take this love down with me~

Greg was showing off all their labs and offices that were vacant.

It finally ended with a note that Greg was holding up while he stood in front of his garage. He smiled and held it out so it was closer to the camera.

'_I'll never forgive you for being so sad. Remember that I'm right here, in your memories._' Greg smiled and dropped the note so they could see his hands.

His right said; "I promise you, Nick, always."

And his left said; "Smile, you nerds."

Archie let it fade before he hit the stop.

Nick walked away. He was going outside when he heard Russel stop him with a quiet "hey" like Greg used to do.

"What?"

"Where're you going?"

Nick turned around, a smile escaping him. "Then sun's up. I'm goin' for a walk." He smiled brightly. "I know where Greg passed on to. He's here." Nick gestured to the lab itself. He slowly brought his ring hand to his chest. "And right here."

Russel smiled and then turned away. "I don't know why I'm talking to a ghost then."

Nick threw the doors open and made his way to his nice, clean, unscratched truck. His heart was still heavy, but knowing that Greg had given them that last message was everything he needed.

As he shut the door, his phone went off.

Archie had sent him a file.

He hit the play. "Nick, I love, love, forever love you!"


End file.
